By Nelson A. King
A Brooklyn-based, Caribbean
born lawyer, who won the
June 22 Democratic Primary
for a seat on the bench in Civil
Court in Brooklyn, says she will
continue her public service role,
if elected to the bench in the
November general elections.
Inga O’Neale — a long-time
Brooklynite and the first attorney
in her family, who was
born in Antigua and Barbuda to
Grenadian parents — told Caribbean
Life on Wednesday that
her legal experience and community
service have sparked a
desire to help others.
“I am grateful to my campaign
team, family, friends
and the voters in Brooklyn for
my campaign’s success in the
Democratic Primary for Kings
County Civil Court Judge countywide,”
she said. “I am committed
to using my legal experience
and community service to
The Great Mossaic
help people resolve the issues
affecting their daily lives in a
fair and impartial manner.”
In winning the Democratic
Primary, O’Neale beat Charles
Finkelstein and Casilda Roper
Simpson.
She is unsure if she will have
an independent or Republican
challenger in the November
general elections.
In a heavily Democratic city,
the winner in the Primary is
considered a shoo-in to win the
general elections.
Even as a child, O’Neale said
she always knew that she wanted
to have a career serving others
.D
uring college at SUNY at
Stony Brook, she said realized
that her true career path was in
the field of law. Ultimately, she
was accepted to Hofstra Law
School in Long Island.
During law school, O’Neale
interned with a Supreme Court
Caribbean L 8 ife, JULY 30-AUG. 5, 2021
Justice and the Law Department
at the Kings County Supreme
Court, Civil Term in downtown
Brooklyn.
O’Neale said the first time
she ever set foot in a courthouse
was during this internship. She
credited this experience as her
inspiration to work within the
court system.
O’Neale said she realized
then how she could make a difference
addressing any inequalities
in the justice system “by
being part of the legal system
serving all communities.”
She was also a student advocate
in her law school’s Child
Advocacy Clinic.
As a student advocate,
O’Neale said she represented
children in cases involving allegations
of abuse and neglect.
“These experiences fueled a
desire to ensure that all are
ensured proper legal services
and are treated with compassion
by the court system,” she
said.
After graduating from law
school, O’Neale worked as a
clerical assistant at the Law
Guardian Program for the
Appellate Division, Second Judicial
Department.
She then applied to, interviewed
for and took a test for
the position as a Court Attorney
in the Law Department of the
Kings County Supreme Court,
Civil Term.
As a court attorney, O’Neale
said she conducted legal research
and drafted bench memoranda
on a variety of areas of civil law,
conducted discovery and settlement
conferences in actions
pending in the Kings County
Supreme Court, Civil Term,
as well as civil cases pending
in the Appellate Division, Second
Judicial Department’s Civil
Appeals Management Program
(CAMP).
Lawyer Inga O’Neale. Alister
Julien Photography/Alij1 Photography
Caribbean-born lawyer aspires
to continue public service role
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