The Honorable Fiordaliza Rodriguez ’93 Appointed Judge of the NYS Court of Claims
Current Role: Judge of the Court of Claims, Acting Justice of the Supreme Court, Bronx Family Court
Grad School Degrees: M.S. from the New School for Social Research; J.D. from CUNY School of Law
John Jay Degree: B.A. in Government & Public Administration
Program: SEEK
Campus Leadership: Vice President, Law & Society Club; Senior Representative, Student Council
Hometown: Dominican Republic; Bronx, NY
What was life like before John Jay?
I was born in a barrio in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It was a very close-knit community, where people looked after one another. My dad was a police officer in the Dominican Republic and came to the U.S. in the 1960s. After arriving in the city, he got a job as a super working in a building. My mom and sister were the first to follow my dad to New York. Mom got a job working at a factory. My brother and I stayed behind in the Dominican Republic and waited five years for our visa. During those five years, it was my grandmother, aunts, and uncles who looked after us.
Before my brother and I moved to the U.S., my dad wanted to make sure we knew English. He hired someone in the Dominican Republic to teach us the language. I picked up English right away. I was 10 years old when I came to the U.S. and moved to the Bronx. From the moment I got here, I served as the translator for many of our family friends who didn’t speak English.
Who inspired you to pursue a career in law and public service?
I was inspired by my dad, who worked in public service. He was a police officer in the Dominican Republic, and a community activist who advocated for others throughout his life. He was very big on being active in the community and helping one’s neighbor.
When I began translating for our family and friends, I felt I was giving them a voice in places where they did not have one. I would go with them to their appointments and translate for them. If we were at a place where they were seeking assistance, I would help them understand what was being said and assist with filling out documents. I remember instances where I would tell them, “You can get into this program. This is what the paper says, these are the things you are entitled to,” and the person we were dealing with would say, “What do you know about this? You’re just a little girl.” But I knew I was translating the information correctly, and that the people I was assisting were entitled to certain benefits. That fight resonated with me deeply. I wanted to continue that life of service. I remember people in my family saying I was a little fighter and that I should be a lawyer.
Why John Jay?
Since my dad was a police officer and I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. John Jay College of Criminal Justice felt like the perfect choice. It was a CUNY college dedicated to shaping future advocates and public servants. I also wanted to go to a college where people like my dad, who worked in law enforcement or in the legal profession, got educated.
I’m grateful I went to John Jay. The College welcomed me with open arms when I arrived. Early on, the financial aid office became my favorite hangout spot because I wanted to learn about the different scholarships available to me. I was also a SEEK student, which elevated my college experience by providing me with support throughout my academic journey. At John Jay, I thrived. I was vice president of the Law Society Club and served in Student Government on the budget committee and as senior representative.
Were there any John Jay experiences that had a lasting impact on you?
The administration at the College was incredibly supportive of the students. If we were willing to roll up our sleeves and do the work, we were allowed to organize a wide range of events and invite people from diverse backgrounds who work in the law field to share their stories with students. Events like that had a profound impact on students like me because, as Marian Wright Edelman said, “you can’t be what you can’t see.” As someone who grew up not knowing any lawyers, those networking experiences at John Jay were pivotal to my learning about the profession and how I could make my dreams of working in law come true.
There was also a professor at John Jay who knew I wanted to go to law school, so he made it his mission to help me connect with people in the legal profession and introduced me to a minority student program at Georgetown that opened my eyes to what was possible for people like me. It didn’t matter that I had an accent or came from the Dominican Republic, I was going to be a lawyer.
What drives your desire to help people in need?
I’m a member of the community where I work and live. I understand what people in the neighborhood go through because I keep my finger on the pulse of what is happening. That’s a trait I get from my dad, knowing what is going on and helping thy neighbor. Growing up, I would watch him play dominoes with guys from the neighborhood. During those games, he always discussed politics and community issues. I would hear him talk about the Dominican National Palace and all the levels of security one had to clear to get their issues heard by the government. Whether it was a garbage issue, a sewage problem, or a maintenance concern in the community, helping someone was a no-brainer to my dad. I think that’s why I’ve always wanted to expand on his legacy by being of service.
I feel a responsibility for the people in the Bronx. I see people I’ve represented walking through stores in the borough. I run into them on the street. So, I feel a deep desire to help them and always look for ways to give back. I’m on the YMCA Board in the Bronx. I’m a judicial mentor to high school students, law students, and attorneys who want to be judges. And for the last 14 years, I’ve held a toy drive and fundraiser so kids in the Bronx have something to open on Christmas Day.
My husband, Eliezer Rodriguez, a civil court judge, also founded an organization called Project Club Clemente, and I’m part of the board. The organization’s goal is to educate youth about the humanitarian legacy of baseball legend Roberto Clemente. We do several things throughout the year to commemorate him and keep his legacy alive. One of the things I’m most proud of is that in 2005 we symbolically completed his mission to deliver supplies, food, and medicine to Nicaragua. Clemente died on December 31, 1971. He was on his way to the country following a devastating earthquake. We planned to go in 2004, but then the Indian Ocean Tsunami struck, and we diverted all the supplies, food, and medicine to the relief effort. We knew it was what Roberto Clemente would have done. In 2005, we chartered a plane, paying out of our own pockets, and completed the mission, symbolically fulfilling Clemente’s humanitarian mission to Nicaragua.
What distinguishes how you preside in court?
I’ve always tried to make my courtroom a comforting, peaceful environment rather than a traumatizing one. I have the lights dimmed in my courtroom, a diffuser, and positive quotes on the wall. I want to make sure that everyone who enters my courtroom knows they are in a safe space. But they also need to understand that they are in family court for a reason. Access to justice will be upheld, and they will be treated with dignity, respect, and understanding. The goal is to resolve their disputes and ensure they can be good parents to their child or children.
I remember, when I first became a judge, I had a case involving a Hispanic woman. When she saw me, a fellow Hispanic woman on the bench, and realized I was going to get her case, she smiled from ear to ear. When I looked at the petition, I learned that she was charged with neglect and that her extensive drug use was so severe, her child was born with special needs. The case hit me like a punch to the stomach, but I had to set my feelings aside to be a fair judge. I listened to the evidence presented, heard the facts of the case, and applied them to the law to make the best decision.
How did it feel to be appointed to the Court of Claims?
Getting appointed to the Court of Claims by Governor Kathy Hochul helped me reflect on how far I’ve come. When I think about 10-year-old me, coming from a barrio in the Dominican Republic to now sitting on a bench, and being appointed to the Court of Claims, it’s mind-blowing. But I know it’s also earned. I know that every success I’ve had—from becoming a lawyer, to being the first Dominican American appointed to sit on the Bronx Family Court to being appointed to the Court of Claims—is an achievement I’ve worked hard for and earned. This appointment by Governor Hochul means the world to me and knowing I’m the only Latina in this group of new judges, the only one of Dominican descent, and the only one from family court is amazing. I’m the third Dominican named to the Court of Claims—and that makes me incredibly proud.
