HALANY honors Haitian Americans in the judiciary

The Haitian American Lawyers Association of New York (HALANY) has recognized several successful Haitian American judges who overcame many obstacles in life to accomplished extraordinary achievements in the legal profession. The ceremony took place at the U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, located at 500 Pearl St., Room 850, in Manhattan, New York.

Among those recognised is Judge Dolores Dorsainvil, an educator, ethics attorney and expert in attorney disciplinary work. Dorsainvil is an associate judge in the District Court of Maryland, District 5, Prince George’s County, and a member of the  Judicial Ethics Committee.

Dorsainvil lost her parents to a senseless act of violence that happened when they returned to Haiti for a summer vacation in 1995. Both of her parents were shot and killed in their home while vacationing in Arcahaie, Haiti. She was 19 at the time when her world turned into a nightmare. Dorsainvil’s parents, Josephine and Pierre were gone. Josephine died on the spot and Pierre died at a hospital in Port-au-Prince the following day. Unfortunately, her parents’ killer was never brought to justice as Haiti’s Justice system is horrendously incompetent.

Judge Dolores Dorsainvil. Photo by Martine Perrin

She was a sophomore in college at the time and wanted to drop out of school but with the support of family and friends, Dorsainvil realized she would not achieve her career goal of becoming an attorney that she had once shared with her parents since childhood.

During her acceptance speech, she stated, “To be recognized by your people is one thing but to be recognized by your ‘people people’ is phenomenal. It is a distinguished honor to serve in the capacity as judge in the District Court for Prince George’s County, Maryland.”

“I proudly do so as the first Haitian-American judge in the state. Tonight, I will share my story that demonstrated the resilience of the Haitian spirit. Like many of you, we share a common thread, we come from humble beginnings. Some of us were born in Haiti, while others were the benefactors of hopes and dreams, which lead our families to come here seeking the ultimate American dream. My parents came to this country in the 1970s to provide a better life and educational opportunities for my older siblings. My twin sister and I were born in New York years later. My mom and dad were responsible for planting the seed of hope in my siblings and me – that no dream is too great,” stated Dorsainvil.

Judges and the staff of the Haitian American Lawyers Association. Photo by Martine Perrin

To honor the legacy of her parents Dorsainvil founded the Dorsainvil Foundation (https://www.dorsainvilfoundation.org) — a non-profit organization dedicated to providing medical care to the residents of Haiti by doing annual medical mission trips. They also provide annual scholarships to graduating Haitian high school students who seek higher education.  Although the killer of her parents were never brought to justice, Dorsainvil has made it her mission to advocate for the voiceless and is a steward for justice. Her lifelong goal is to continue to have an impact on the lives of others.

“As Haitian legal professionals here in the diaspora, we have a duty that is far greater. Many of us have had to overcome incredible adversity to get to where we are today.  However, I think in order to remain grounded, we must not forget those obstacles. We continue to see the effects of what oppression and poverty have done to our country, but we must always be reminded that we come from people who fought so bravely and sought their independence and were the first to do so, so that we could congregate here in this space today (US District Court for the Southern District of NY). It is not enough that we do well for ourselves, it is also very important as legal professionals that we do good for those around us, here and back home.”

“As I look around the room, I can clearly see that we made it. We always knew that we were great. Because we know where we came from, now it is time for us to show the world the same,” said Dorsainvil.