The New York City Civil Court has recently named a hassidic woman to the bench for the first time in its history, Israel Hayom learned Monday. According to the U.S.-based Jewish Press, Rachel Freier was elected to Kings County's 5th Judicial District Civil Court last week, after winning 41% of the votes for the judgeship. Freier, who resides in Brooklyn, earned her Bachelor's degree in political science from Touro College and then went on to study law at the Brooklyn Law School. She has been practicing law for 30 years. According to the report, Freier "ran a widely popular campaign, appealing to people across the spectrum with her history of working hard 'from the ground up' to reach her goals, and persevering without cease until she has achieved the objectives she has set for herself." The Civil Court of the City of New York is part of the New York State Unified Court System. It deals with claims for damages up to $25,000 and other civil matters at the request of the New York Supreme Court. According to Freier's campaign website, she "began as a legal secretary, then paralegal and then continued on to college and law school, all while raising her six children." She also founded a variety of charities and is actively involved in community outreach. In the biography section of the site she is described as someone who is "committed to her tradition, and passionate about advocacy and outreach, always lending a helping hand and advising those in need." Freier is licensed to practice in New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia and has specialized in real estate law. As per her site, she has "helped many homeowners save their homes from foreclosure by negotiating modification settlements in court." According to her campaign website, Freier is a mother of six, who helped found the all-female EMT team that serves Boro Park.
