Jamaican-American lawyer Janice Robinson vies for Civil Court Judge in Brooklyn
Jamaican-American lawyer Janice Robinson says she is running for one of the two Civil Court Judge seats in Brooklyn’s 6th Municipal Court District in the Democratic Primary on June 25.
Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn resident Robinson, who has been a civil litigator for over 20 years, told Caribbean Life that she brings “a wealth of experience to the table.”
A lifelong Brooklynite, born to immigrant parents from Jamaica, Robinson said she got her first taste of public service work when she was “volun-TOLD” to help on her uncle’s campaign in the 58th Assembly District in Brooklyn. Her uncle, former New York State Assemblyman Nick Perry, is now the United States Ambassador to Jamaica.
Robinson said she is also “service-minded”, and gives back to the community both through her work and as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the first Black sorority.
As a civil litigator in Brooklyn, working for major insurance companies for over 20 years, Robinson said she has seen the demographic of the bench slowly making changes to become more diverse.
“The bench should strive to reflect those that appear before it,” she said. “Fairness and judicial equality start with those who are entrusted with the task of listening, assessing and making the important decisions that affect the people of our community.”
Robinson said she is ready for the opportunity to provide all these things to those who deserve and need them the most.
She said that appearing before many of the judges in Kings County has given her “a unique perspective,” stating that she is “keenly aware of what makes a judge effective – the temperament, professionalism, knowledge of the law, the ability to listen, respect for the litigants, and, for Kings County, the ability to move cases along in a civil part that easily has a calendar of 100 cases or more on any given day.
“All of the positive attributes and skills that I have had a front row seat to witness for the last 20 years set an excellent example for me and essentially the best road map that I could have ever hoped for,” Robinson said.
She added that she sees an opportunity to do her part in making sure the people of Brooklyn receive “fair and equal justice – justice that is compassionate and understanding, and justice that considers their individual circumstances when possible.
“Brooklyn deserves that,” stressed Robinson, stating that she is “ready to deliver.”
Robinson – who received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and speech arts from Hofstra University and her juris doctorate (law degree) from American University Washington College of Law – resides in Bedford Stuyvesant with her husband of 20 years and their two teenage children.
Early voting in the Democratic Primary runs from June 16-23.
