Why Caroline Cohen is the Woman for the Job (Civil Court Judge, 6th Municipal District)

Crumiller’s Senior Associate, Caroline Piela Cohen, is running for New York City Civil Court Judge in the 6th Municipal District.  Here’s why she is the woman for the job.

I first met Caroline shortly after we both had our first children in the fall of 2012.  We had both joined a “Ditmas Park Moms” group.  I liked her right away and was happy to learn we were both attorneys in the same field.

Caroline is a genuine person, and you can tell right away that she has a kind heart.  She’s warm and engaging; it makes her fun to be around.   Soon after we became friends, I came to realize that she is also whip-smart.  I started trying to recruit her for my law firm way before I had the money to hire somebody.  I knew she would be an excellent attorney: great with clients, direct and to the point, and a savvy strategizer.

I’ll never forget when Caroline finally reached out to me to ask if I still had a position for her.  I ran over to my calculator and crunched some numbers.  We had a deal within 10 minutes.  I learned later that she had texted me from the bathroom in court.  She had been in an uncomfortable position, where she felt pressured to move eviction proceedings forward against an elderly tenant and she felt like it went against her principles.  She made a decision on the spot.

My instincts about Caroline’s excellence were 100% correct.  She brings her A-Game every single day, both with her litigation skills AND the homemade baked goods she makes for the office (how on earth the woman has time for everything she does is a mystery).  She is warm and empathetic with clients, tough but respectful with adversaries and supportive of colleagues.  Other employees have described Caroline to me as the “glue” of the office.  She is the first one with a kind word: about others’ work, their accomplishments, and their hairstyles.

The main quality I prize at my firm is our integrity, and this is also the main quality I prize in Caroline.  She is somebody who truly cares about doing the right thing.  We all took a little personality quiz, and Caroline’s result is that her motivating drive is to contribute.  I have seen her get teary-eyed when we have gotten great results for a deserving client.  I’m getting teary-eyed, frankly, as I’m writing this.  Caroline has dedicated her life and her career to social justice and has found a way to make it happen even as a new mom.  She is the real deal.

The thought of losing Caroline from the firm pains me and each of us will miss her dearly.  But, I truly believe that the bench needs her.  Her skills, her integrity, and her fair-mindedness will be a credit to the judiciary each and every day.  It’s what our litigants deserve.

I hope you will join me in voting for Caroline Cohen this coming Tuesday.