The State Senate recognized Nicole Sheindlin as a Woman of Distinction during the State Senate’s 21st annual Women of Distinction ceremony May 7 in Albany. Sheindlin is a resident of Larchmont and was nominated by State Sen. Shelley Mayer for her work to empower young women through the “Her Honor Mentoring” program.
Sheindlin co-founded the “Her Honor Mentoring” program with her stepmother, the Hon. Judith Sheindlin, star of the television program “Judge Judy” and former supervising judge of Manhattan’s Family Court. The Westchester County-based nonprofit pairs female high school seniors – generally the first in their families to attend college and many of whom face significant financial barriers – with women who are leaders in their respective careers. The program provides a supportive mentoring opportunity for these young women to gain exposure to women in leadership, to gain confidence and improve work skills, and to expand the range of opportunities they consider for their futures.
For hundreds of young women from Westchester’s diverse communities, from Peekskill to Port Chester, the “Her Honor Mentoring” program has changed lives and lifted hopes. Mayer has participated in the mentoring program for several years with capable young women from the Yonkers Public Schools placed in her office. Mayer’s mentee this year, Anahi Bustamante, a senior at Harrison High School, came to Albany to watch the ceremony.
“I am so very pleased to nominate Nicole Sheindlin for the NYS Senate Woman of Distinction Award,” said Mayer. “Throughout her career, Nicole has shown a dedication to the community and to empowering women. Her founding and leadership of this innovative and life-changing program is a testament to her belief that exposure to women in leadership in a variety of careers, coupled with supportive mentorship, will have a lasting and meaningful impact on young women’s lives. I have had the honor of participating in the ‘Her Honor Mentoring’ program for many years. It is a pathbreaking program for the young women who participate and graduate from the program, exposed to careers and choices that will shape their futures.”
“I am honored to be recognized with the NYS Women of Distinction Award, and I accept this distinction on behalf of all of the amazing women of Westchester County who enthusiastically serve as mentors to our next generation of women leaders,” said Sheindlin.
Sheindlin’s inspiration for “Her Honor Mentoring” came from a desire to work proactively in her own community. She started “Her Honor Mentoring” while simultaneously working as a senior staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Division in Bronx County, handling all phases of criminal litigation for indigent and low-income individuals accused of felonies and misdemeanors from arraignment through plea bargain or trial. During her 15-year tenure at Legal Aid, she conducted jury and bench trials in cases involving charges of robbery, rape, attempted murder, assault, burglary, and sale and possession of controlled substances.
In addition to her J.D. from New York Law School, Sheindlin also holds a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is also a partner at Mentzer and Sheindlin, LLP, a private practice law firm that handles all aspects of criminal and civil litigation at the trial and appellate level. She has received numerous accolades such as the Champion of Human Rights Award from the Westchester County Human Rights Commission, and Community Champion Award in Education and Literacy from Volunteer New York of the United Way.
Sheindlin resides with her husband, three children, dog and cat in Larchmont.
