The other attorneys in the race are Elena P. Barron, Derefim B. Neckles, and Rupert V. Barry
Indian American attorney Hemalee J Patel is running for the civil court judge in the 6th municipal district in Brooklyn and seeks to become Brooklyn’s first Indian American Judge.
The well-known lawyer and active Brooklyn community member will also be the first South Asian Judge in Brooklyn if she is elected to the district including Northern Park Slope, Lefferts Gardens and a stretch between Coney Island Avenue and Ocean Avenue to Avenue M, Kings County Politics reported.
“The quality of our lives is directly and deeply influenced by those who serve the public. I consider myself privileged to be a civil servant, and always try to be one in the truest sense. This means that I must not only do my best, but convey that intention by being all times honest, fair and courteous to the parties and attorneys who appear before me,” Patel said in her campaign pamphlet.
“As an immigrant South Asian woman, I have a unique perspective that, along with my background, experience and proven ability in performing duties and responsibilities of a Court Attorney-Referee, prepares me to undertake a career as a judge,” she said.
Hemalee Patel is an accomplished public servant who has served with distinction in the court as a Principal Law Clerk and Court Attorney-Referee in New York State Supreme Court for nearly 15 years. She is currently the Court Attorney-Referee in Richmond County (Staten Island) where she conducts trials and hearings on financial issues in matrimonial matters. As the Principal Law Clerk in Kings & New York, she deals with issues of domestic violence, spousal and child support, divorce, and custody.
The Judicial Screening Committee of the Kings County Democratic Party found Patel qualified for the candidacy and she also received endorsements from New York City council member Brad Lander, Independent Neighborhood Democrats (IND) and South Asian Bar Association of New York.
Patel, who immigrated to the US at the age of five as her family decided to settle in Queens, is a graduate of New York University and also from the Brooklyn Law School. She is married to science reporter Unmesh Kher and has two children Arushi, 13, and Saam, 7.
The other attorneys in the race are Elena P. Barron, Derefim B. Neckles, and Rupert V. Barry.
The Democratic Primary for the 6th Municipal District Civil Court is on September 12 and the polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.