Dora Irizarry

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Dora Irizarry is a Federal Judge in New York. Born in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico, on January 26, 1955, Irizarry was raised in New York City. A graduate of Yale University and Columbia University Law School, Irizarry worked as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx and Manhattan. Specializing in drug and narcotics cases, Irizarry has said she wanted to improve the quality of life in the neighborhoods she grew up in.

She was appointed a New York City Criminal Court Judge by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and then a Judge of the New York Court of Claims by Governor George Pataki. As a Court of Claims Judge she served as an Acting Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, sitting in Brooklyn and Manhattan. She was the first Hispanic woman to serve as a state judge in New York.

In 2002, Irizarry resigned from her judgeship to become the Republican nominee for Attorney General of New York, challenging Democratic incumbent Eliot Spitzer. She lost the race by a 66%-30% margin, but ran a strong race in upstate New York. Irizarry is the first Latina to seek statewide office in New York State.

In 2003, Irizarry was nominated to serve as a Federal District Court Judge in the Eastern District of New York. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2004 and sits in Brooklyn.