38. God Saw Something Different! w/ Judge Tricia M. Ferrell

Tricia M. Ferrell was appointed as a Judge of the Nassau County District Court in March 2008. She was subsequently elected that same year to serve a six-year term and re-elected in 2014. The Judge adjudicates criminal matters and previously presided over the Driving While Intoxicated Court as well as the Domestic Violence Court. Presently, Judge Ferrell handles cases assigned to a criminal court part designated for defendants with privately retained counsel. Prior to sitting on the bench, Judge Ferrell was employed in 2006, as the Director of Compliance for Nassau County, where she managed the internal controls for various departments countywide. The Judge also formerly held the position of Deputy Village Attorney, where she prosecuted cases for the Village of Hempstead. Judge Ferrell’s legal career began as an eager Nassau County Assistant District Attorney in 1998, where she prosecuted both misdemeanor and felony cases. Judge Ferrell earned her Juris Doctor degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 1998. Notably, the Judge was honored with the Law School’s Alumni Award for Judicial Service in 2014. Judge Ferrell graduated cum laude from the City College of New York. Judge Ferrell is actively involved in the legal arena and holds membership in the Nassau County Criminal Courts Bear Association, the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York and the Nassau County Women’s Bar Association, where she recently presented for its Chamber Chat Series. As a Nassau County Bar Association member, she is a longtime and energetic youth mentor, serving the Uniondale middle school population and she was a Co-Chair of the Bar Association’s Judicial Section. She is also affiliated with the Theodore Roosevelt Inn of Court, the Amistad Long Island Black Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the New York State District Court Judges Association, where she formerly held the office of secretary. Judge Ferrell is committed to community service and is an active member of the Uniondale Chamber of Commerce. She is also a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (“NAACP”), Freeport-Roosevelt Branch. The Judge is a dedicated long-standing member of the Hempstead Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Over the years she has served her church and the church community at large in many capacities and most recently served as the Women’s Ministries Leader. Closing Word by Former First Lady Michelle Obama