Justice Sylvia Hinds-Radix Honored by New York State Bar Association for Supporting Women in the Workplace

Justice Sylvia Hinds-Radix Honored by New York State Bar Association for Supporting Women in the Workplace

1.17.2025

By Jennifer Andrus

The New York State Bar Association honored Justice Sylvia Hinds-Radix with its Ruth G. Schapiro Award during a meeting of its governing body at the association’s Annual Meeting in New York City on Friday, Jan. 17.

Justice Sylvia Hinds-Radix is a trailblazer as the first Caribbean-born woman of color and second woman overall to serve as New York City’s Corporation Counsel. Her legal career spans decades of dedicated service in the city, county and appellate courts.

Justice Hinds-Radix made her mark as a jurist, serving ten years on the bench as an associate justice of the Appellate Division, Second Department. In that time, she was instrumental in decisions affecting bankruptcy law, commercial and federal litigation, and health and family law just to name a few.

Her work to promote and support other women in their careers speaks to the heart of the Schapiro award. Many of the women who were mentored by Hinds-Radix nominated her for the award.

“In every workplace from city hall to city courts and beyond, Justice Hinds-Radix was looking out for the women in her office, fighting hard to ensure that female employees were listened to and valued,” said New York State Bar Association President Domenick Napoletano. “She fostered a supportive and encouraging work environment where women had the tools they need to advance in their careers.”

In accepting the award, she praised her mother and other women whose paths have crossed with hers.  She encouraged those assembled to continue to be allies and mentors to women.

“The need is for us to be mentors to our young people so that our profession is in good hands,” she said. “Men like Domenick Napoletano who see us and help us. Thank you for what you have done for female lawyers and judges, and what you continue to do to mentor our young lawyers.”

Her support of women in the legal profession extends to extensive volunteer work for the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York, the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association and her founding of the Caribbean American Lawyers Association.

Outside of the workplace, Justice Hinds-Radix founded an after-school tutoring program in her community, helping children from kindergarten through high school.

The award is named for the late Ruth G. Schapiro, a nationally regarded tax lawyer, who was the first woman partner at Proskauer. She was the first chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Women in the Law.