Justice J. Machelle Sweeting, an accomplished woman of many historic firsts

Consistent with this year’s theme for Women’s Day, Caribbean Life highlights the inspiring life story of Harlem resident Justice J. Machelle Sweeting, an accomplished woman of many historic firsts.

What began on Feb., 28, 1909 as Women’s Day has since expanded to Women’s History Week and, by designation of President Jimmy Carter in 1980, March is now known as Women’s History Month.

During this month-long celebration, especially on March 8, 2023, which is International Women’s Day, the contributions and achievements of women who have made important sacrifices and contributions to society both past and present are being recognized.

This year’s theme, which is chosen annually by the National Women’s History Alliance, is “Women Who Tell Stories.”

Justice Sweeting is a Bahamian American and the first and only legal practitioner admitted to practice law in both the federal and state courts in New York; Washington, D.C.; the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd and 4th Circuits; the United States Supreme Court; and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

Justice Sweeting, whose father hailed from The Bahamas, is a trailblazing acting Supreme Court jurist in the New York State Supreme Court.

On her election to the bench in 2014, she became the first and only African American woman jurist to preside in the New York County Family Court in many years.

A graduate of Davidson College in North Carolina, she is the first and only woman Jurist in the college’s 186-year history.

With regard to her leadership in the court, in 2016, long before the global COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, Justice Sweeting presided over the nation’s first state-wide “Remote Access” Court that allowed litigants to appear before the court via SKYPE.

“This initiative revolutionized the court system by giving court access to persons who would otherwise have been denied an opportunity to have their matters heard,” Justice Sweeting told Caribbean Life.

This is an incredible achievement for a woman whose ancestry is rooted in the young Commonwealth nation of the Bahamas, which will commemorate its 50th Year of Independence in July of this year and whose first female judge (the Hon. Joan Sawyer) was not appointed until 1988.

Throughout her legal career, Judge Sweeting has remained both humble and steadfast in her commitment to ensuring that equality and justice remain at the forefront of our legal system.

Justice Sweeting currently presides over a high-volume court and handles complex cases alleging civil liability against the City of New York, its agencies and employees.

She also presides over criminal court and mental health proceedings to determine whether patients pose a danger to themselves or others or require continued detention and medical treatment over objection.

Prior to this appointment, she presided over cases involving the most intimate disputes about child custody, visitation, guardianship and domestic violence.

Justice Sweeting is also the former Presiding Justice of the Harlem Community Justice Center, which is a multi-faceted court.

While there, she supervised the operation of the building and staff, and was responsible for the overall administration of cases involving inter-related actions of housing, civil and family matters.

A woman with many global interests, in 2019, Judge Sweeting joined a US delegation of women judges and lawyers on a pilgrimage to Ghana, Africa, and also led US delegations in the countries of Jamaica and Haiti, where she presented on the impact of immigration policies on Caribbean nationals.

Prior to ascending to the bench, Justice Sweeting served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.

She also served as an Assistant Corporation Counsel, where she is one of the founding attorneys of the Special Federal Litigation Division.

Additionally, prior to her judgeship, Justice Sweeting served as one of only two special referees in the Supreme Court Matrimonial Division in Brooklyn, an administrative law judge; a law clerk to an Appellate Justice; and as an adjunct law professor.

Justice Sweeting earned her law degree from Rutgers University School of Law in Newark, NJ, and received a Certificate of Legal Education from the Eugene Dupuch Law School in the Bahamas.

As an active member of the community, she holds leadership positions in several local, state and national organizations including, but not limited to: the National Bar Association Judicial Council; Family Court Judge’s Associations of New York City and State; the Association of Black Women Attorneys; Metropolitan Black Bar Association; the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Recognized for her distinct legal acumen, Justice Sweeting was named 2022 “Judge of the Year” by the Tribune Society in the courts and is listed amongst “Who’s Who in America.”

Justice Sweeting is a dedicated mentor to a countless number of students and is “committed to building a successful  pipeline for persons interested in pursuing a career in law.”

She said her commitment dates back to her years as law student, when she established Rutgers Law School’s first legal training program for high school students.

Justice Sweeting regularly welcomes visitors to her courtroom, including virtually, to observe the inner-workings of the judicial system, and to empower them with information about their rights and responsibilities as citizens.

“The doors of my court are open,” she said. “Visitors are welcome to observe the inner-workings of our judicial system.”

In addition to her responsibilities in the court, Justice Sweeting is a highly regarded motivational speaker, a National Registered Parliamentarian and a certified chaplain.

She was named 2022 “Chaplain of the Year” by the New York Christian Bible College.

Her words of encouragement continue to inspire a new generation of civic-minded community leaders to pursue a career in law and public service.

It is because of her sacrificial leadership as a shining and inspirational example to others, especially young women, that Caribbean Life showcases Justice J. Machelle Sweeting in this month of woman’s history.