Grenadian court attorney referee Bernadette Neckles .
Bernadette Neckles, Esq.
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By Nelson A. King
Grenadian-born court attorney
referee Derefim Bernadette
Neckles is vying for the position
of Civil Court judge countywide
in Brooklyn, saying that
she has the “knowledge, experience,
integrity and compassion
needed to serve as a civil court
judge.”
“As a court attorney referee,
acting in a quasi-judicial role, I
preside over cases, render decisions
and issue reports,” Neckles
told Caribbean Life in an exclusive
interview on Monday.
“I am vying for the position
for two reasons: first, to achieve
my personal dream of becoming
a judge; and, second, to promote
justice, fairness and equal treatment
under the law for everyone,
including Caribbean-born
folks now residing in Brooklyn.”
Since becoming a lawyer,
Neckles, an East Flatbush,
Brooklyn resident, said she has
encountered many challenges as
a female and immigrant.
However, she said she has
been able to overcome those
challenges by her faith in God,
perseverance, her education and
“being a strong woman.”
“As a court attorney referee, I
have been successful in resolving
difficult cases and issues, including
residential foreclosure problems,
which homeowners/borrowers
encountered in dealing
with lenders,” Neckles said. “At
the same time, I have been challenged
by the lack of resources
available to the unrepresented
borrowers.”
At an early age, Neckles said
she learned the value of education
and hard work.
She earned her bachelor’s
degree in economics, with honors,
from Brooklyn College and
her doctor of jurisprudence (JD)
degree from the University of
Miami School of Law. She has
been admitted to practice law in
New York and Florida.
As a young attorney, Neckles
said she spent the first four years
of her legal career (1998-2001)
in private practice, handling civil
rights, employment discrimination,
landlord-tenant and contract
matters.
She spent the next 11 years of
her legal career (2002-2012) in
the Kings County Court system.
Starting as a court attorney
in the Kings County civil and
criminal courts, she said she
advanced to a confidential principal
law secretary/legal adviser
to a Kings County Supreme
Court justice and later to the
administrative judge of the
Kings County Supreme Court,
Civil Term.
During her tenure as the
judge’s legal advisor, Neckles
said she “counseled and advised”
the judge on a multitude of legal
matters, researched complex
issues, drafted hundreds of decisions
and orders, and mediated
and settled cases.
She said she gained “a valuable
insight into, and the working
knowledge of, the powers,
duties, and responsibilities of a
trial-level judge.”
In addition, Neckles assisted
the administrative judge in the
development of court policies and
procedures, and the implementation
of new programs for the
Kings County Supreme Court,
Civil Term.
For the past seven years (2012
to current), Neckles has assumed
a quasi-judicial role as a court
attorney referee in Kings County
Supreme Court, Civil Term.
She said she had worked in
the residential foreclosure part,
in which she successfully conferenced
hundreds of residential
foreclosure cases, many of which
resulted in affordable loan modifications
to homeowners.
Neckles said she currently handles
“a heavy caseload” of non-jury
trials, framed-issue hearings,
conferences and inquests.
She also issues decisions and
orders, as well as reports and
recommendations to the judges
of her court.
Neckles said her commitment
to the Brooklyn community is
illustrated by her extensive pro
bono service.
She has been volunteering as
an arbitrator in the Small Claims
Part of Kings County Civil Court
for the past 14 years, where she
presides over small claims matters.
Grenadian court attorney referee
wants to be civil court judge