Christine Gabriella Ortiz, Esq. is a New York attorney and court professional whose career has been defined by public service, rigorous legal analysis, and a lifelong commitment to advocacy. Admitted to the New York State Bar in 2014, she is also admitted to practice in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Ms. Ortiz’s professional career is deeply rooted in Brooklyn through her longstanding service in Kings County courts. Since 2015, she has served in the New York State Unified Court System in Kings County, supporting the work of the court in roles of increasing responsibility across Criminal Court, Civil Court, and Supreme Court. She has served as both an Assistant Law Clerk and Principal Law Clerk, and currently serves as Principal Law Clerk in New York State Supreme Court, Kings County, Civil Term.
Raised first in Astoria and later in Bellerose, Queens, Ms. Ortiz’s early life was shaped by the example of two parents devoted to law and service. Her mother spent more than three decades as a secretary in the Office of Legal Affairs at the United Nations, and her father served as an agency attorney with the NYPD before deploying internationally with the United Nations, working in places such as Kosovo and Liberia to support post-conflict rebuilding efforts. From a young age, she witnessed what it meant to stand up for others, both in the everyday moments of family life and through her parents’ commitment to justice under difficult circumstances.
Proudly Puerto Rican and Peruvian, Ms. Ortiz is the granddaughter and daughter of people who built their lives through persistence, sacrifice, and principle. Her family history, from a Puerto Rican grandfather who fought in the Korean War, to grandparents who worked factory jobs, drove taxis, and cleaned offices at night, to parents who overcame financial and professional challenges without compromising their ethics, instilled in her a deep respect for hard work, dignity, and service. Growing up in a homogenous neighborhood, she experienced moments of exclusion and unequal treatment, but those challenges were met with resilience and guidance from parents who consistently turned adversity into opportunity.
Ms. Ortiz earned her Juris Doctor from CUNY School of Law, where she served as Executive Articles Editor of the CUNY Law Review and held leadership roles as President of the CUNY Latin American Law Students Association and Co-Chair of the Metro-Latin American Law Students Association. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Latino Studies from Columbia University.
Her legal training included extensive public-interest and litigation experience. During law school, she interned with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in the Special Victims Bureau, LatinoJustice/PRLDEF, the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, and the New York State Court of Appeals. She also served as a student attorney in the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic, advocating for survivors of sex trafficking. These experiences strengthened her courtroom readiness and reinforced her belief that the legal system must function fairly for all, particularly those with limited resources or power.
Ms. Ortiz began her legal career in private practice, representing individual and institutional clients in state and federal courts and agencies. Her work included commercial litigation, wage theft class action, and family law matters involving matrimonial issues, custody, and orders of protection.
In her current role as Principal Law Clerk in Kings County Supreme Court, Civil Term, Ms. Ortiz supports a high-volume, trial-ready docket by conducting legal research, drafting proposed decisions and confidential memoranda, handling oral arguments and emergency applications, conducting settlement and status conferences, and resolving trial issues including evidentiary rulings, jury charges, and verdict sheets. She also supervises court staff and serves as a Small Claims Arbitrator.
In addition to her professional work, Ms. Ortiz has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to community service and mentorship. She has worked the “Ve y Vota!” bilingual election hotline to help protect voters from disenfranchisement, mentored college, and law students, and supported first-generation and minority high school students through college application and financial-aid workshops. She has also served as an alumni interviewer for Columbia University and volunteered with soup kitchens and charitable fundraising efforts, including AIDS and breast cancer walks. Even outside formal programs, she continues to serve as a trusted resource to colleagues and community members seeking guidance and support.
Across every role, Ms. Ortiz brings a firm belief that justice is not only a legal outcome, but a daily practice grounded in respect, preparation, and humanity. Her work reflects the values that first inspired her to pursue law, advocacy, fairness, and the conviction that no person is invisible, regardless of title or circumstance.
