Indian-American woman appointed interim civil court judge in NYC

Indian-American Deepa Ambekar has been appointed as an interim judge to the civil court of New York City, becoming the second Indian-American woman judge in the city after Chennai-born Raja Rajeswari.

Ambekar, 41 is appointed to Civil Court and will be serving in Criminal Court, said a statement from the office of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The mayor announced the appointment of interim Civil Court Judge Ambekar and the reappointment of three Family Court judges.

“Every New Yorker deserves access to a fair and equitable justice system,” de Blasio said.

"I know these judges will ensure due process is afforded to all who come before their court.”

Ambekar served with the New York City Council for three years as Senior Legislative Attorney and Counsel to the Committee on Public Safety.

Prior to that, she was a Staff Attorney at the Legal Aid Society, Criminal Defense Division, and a litigation associate at a private firm.

She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and her law degree from Rutgers Law School.

In 2015, Rajeswari was sworn in as a criminal court judge, becoming the first India-born woman to be appointed a judge in the city.

Rajeswari, who had immigrated to the US from India as a teenager, previously worked with the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office for her entire career in several bureaus including Criminal Court, Narcotics, Supreme Court, and the Sex Crimes Special Victims Bureau, where she last served as Deputy Chief.