Judicial Section

Hon. Karen M.C. Cortes (Ret.)

Hon. Karen M.C. Cortes (Ret.) is the Presiding Member of the New York State Bar Association Judicial Section, and the first Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) to serve in this capacity in the Section’s century-long history. She currently serves as a Support Magistrate in Bronx County Family Court.

Judge Cortes served as a New York City Family Court Judge in Bronx County Family Court from January 2019 to January 2026, having been appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio. She was the first Filipino American judge appointed to the New York City Family Court and the first Filipino American judge in New York State Family Court. During her tenure, she presided over child abuse and neglect, custody, visitation, guardianship, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), and family offense proceedings.

Judge Cortes brings nearly two decades of experience in the New York State Unified Court System, having previously served as a Court Attorney Referee and Senior Court Attorney in New York City Family Court, and as a trial attorney at the New York City Administration for Children’s Services.

She currently serves as a member of the Statewide Permanent Commission on Justice for Families and the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission Judicial Mentor Program. She is currently a board member of the Asian American Judges Association of New York State, and a member of the Bronx County Family Court Equal Justice Committee, the Mental Health Professionals Certification Committee for the Second Judicial Department, the New York City Family Court Judges Association, the New York State Family Court Judges Association, and the New York State Women’s Bar Association – Bronx Chapter. She has been honored by the Bronx County Family Court Bar Association and the Asian American Bar Association of New York.

Judge Cortes’ prior leadership roles include Vice President for the New York City Family Court Judges Association; Board of Directors – First Department for the New York State Family Court Judges Association; Committee Co-Chair for the Bronx County Family Court Early Engagement Group; Committee Co-Chair for the Bronx County Family Court Gender Fairness Committee; Member of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission Advisory Group to the Twelfth Judicial District; New York City Family Court Custody, Visitation, and Family Offense Operations Advisory Committee to the Administrative Judge; Bronx County Family Court Strategic Plan Implementation Team for Custody, Visitation, and Family Offense; New York City Bar Association Family Court and Family Law Committee; and Kings County Family Court Disproportionate Minority Representation Committee.

Judge Cortes holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from New York University, where she was named on The National Dean’s List and the Dean’s Honors List, and received the New York University Presidential Service and Leadership Award. She earned her Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School, where she received the Judge Doris A. Thompson and Judge Edward Thompson Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy.