Judge Maria Cubillos Reed shakes hands with the presiding judge of the NYS Court of Claims, the Hono
Maria Cubillos Reed has been appointed to serve as a Monroe County Family Court Judge, making her the first Hispanic to serve on the court.
Reed was nominated by New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and was confirmed by the New York State Senate last week.
Reed’s nomination and confirmation comes as she was a candidate for the seat vacated by Judge James Vazzana since January due to his election to the New York State Supreme Court. Reed will still appear on the ballot for the primary election to be held on June 27, 2023.
“I am extremely honored to be the first Hispanic to preside over Monroe County’s Family Court. I want to thank Governor Hochul for her confidence in me and all those in the New York State Senate who supported my nomination,” Cubillos Reid said. “I have always been focused on helping families and children and now, as a judge, I can ensure that all people will have equal access to justice.”
Cubillos Reed is a Colombia immigrant. She became a U.S. citizen in 1998. She graduated from the University of Rochester and went on to law school at Boston University where she interned at the Legal Aid Society. Drawing upon her cultural background and utilizing her Spanish-speaking skills, she concentrated on cases involving immigration. She developed a commitment to giving back to the community to help battered women and underprivileged children.
In recent years, Cubillos Reed was awarded the Empire State Counsel Award for performing over 50 hours of pro bono service to low-income individuals and received the Western Bar Association of Women Attorneys’ Hanna S. Cohn Award for pro bono service. Last year, she was selected by the Rochester Business Journal and New York Daily Record as one of the region’s power players in the legal industry for the Power 50 Law list. For 2023, she was named a Women of Excellence by RBJ for her professional accomplishments, community leadership, and mentoring.
Most recently she had been in solo practice concentrating in Family and Immigration Law
“Maria is a very astute lawyer and as a solo practitioner, has worked very hard for countless families,” said Stephen DeVay, Chairman of the Monroe County Democratic Party. “I have seen how she taps into community service providers to assist those in need. She is committed to finding solutions that will particularly help children advance. She really is a valuable resource to have on the family court bench.”
Whenever there is a vacancy on the bench, Governor Hochul is charged with selecting candidates to serve as interim judges until the next election. Cubillos Reed was confirmed as an Interim Family Court Judge just hours before Team Cubillos Reed had scheduled a campaign fundraiser in Rochester. The event was postponed so Reed could attend the confirmation hearing and join Governor Hochul in Albany.
