Women’s History Month Conversation with Judge Bianka Perez: Heritage, Discernment and Legacy
New York City Bar Association PodcastShow Notes
In a special Women’s History Month episode, City Bar President Muhammad Faridi speaks with Judge Bianka Perez, an associate justice of the New York Supreme Court and president of the Supreme Court Justices Association. Judge Perez speaks about her path to the bench – her roots as a Bronx paralegal and office manager, through night classes at New York Law School, and a legal practice serving both her intellectual ambitions and her commitment to supporting her community.
Perez discusses how private practice shaped her perspective on judicial empathy, how her Dominican heritage and role models influence her leadership and service, and how mentoring students is a priority. She addresses the difficulty of rulings constrained by statute and precedent, coping with the stress of judging, and defines success as making history and lifting the next generation of Latina leaders.
Want to hear more from women who lead? Check out the most recent International Law Conference on the Status of Women hosted at the City Bar, where we honor the women judges who uphold justice for all with courage and integrity: https://www.nycbar.org/videos/2026-annual-international-law-conference-on-the-status-of-women/
00:00 Welcome and Women’s History Month 00:26 Judge Perez’s Bronx Beginnings 02:04 Working Full Time in Law School 04:43 Why Private Practice Matters 06:00 Law School Through a Practitioner Lens 08:22 Opening a Storefront Practice 11:39 Dominican Roots and Bronx Service 15:36 Bar Leadership and Becoming a Judge 18:47 When the Law Ties Your Hands 21:15 Life Experience on the Bench 24:02 Choosing the Judgeship Path 27:27 Mentoring and Paying It Forward 31:38 Carrying the Work Home 34:25 Success, Advice, and Closing
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