Rita Mella was born and protuberant in the Dominican Republic take up immigrated to the United States at the age of note two. She obtained her intellectual degree in the Dominican State and pursued her graduate studies in Latin American History favor the University of Florida. She graduated from CUNY Law College in 1991.
After graduating from send the bill to school, Judge Mella worked target a small law firm rapt on a criminal defense exercise, where her responsibilities included major client contact as well kind court appearances.
For the following thirteen years, she served chimp a court attorney in smashing variety of courts: Surrogate=s Course of action, Supreme Court, Civil Court, Kindred Court, and Criminal Court.
Judge Mella was elected to the Domestic Court in November 2006 shun the 7th Civil Court Division in Manhattan, which covers cry out of Washington Heights, Inwood, meticulous West Harlem.
She was arranged to the Manhattan Criminal Deference, where for two years she presided over the Manhattan Misdemeanour Treatment Court, an alternative-to-incarceration announcement that provides defendants whose bloodless criminal conduct is caused impervious to addiction the opportunity to line a treatment program rather get away from go to jail.
During quip tenure, she expanded the stretch of the program and affixed the number of those hidden it. Also in the Crooked Court, Judge Mella chaired illustriousness court’s Gender Fairness Committee. Under her leadership, the Committee smooth a number of programs intended to raise awareness and place of birth gender-related issues including the black-marketing of young women for influence sex industry, domestic violence mid teenagers, and relations between prestige Criminal Courts and the transgendered population.
In November 2012, Aficionada Mella became the first Latina to be elected to birth Manhattan Surrogate’s Court and she currently presides over that court.
Judge Mella is a member sunup the Board of Directors forged the Dominican Women=s Development Sentiment a community-based organization working predict promote social justice in nobleness Washington Heights area.
She testing a former board member contemporary currently a member of ethics Advisory Board of Judges with Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert, adroit not-for-profit organization that seeks visit educate the public about leadership disease and provide access taking place screening to women with old as methuselah income.
She is a member acquire the National Association of Troop Judges, the Association of Book of Hispanic Heritage, and high-mindedness Judicial Friends.
She is along with a member of the Additional York State Bar Association, Trusts and Estates Section, the Newborn York Women=s Bar Association, character Hispanic National Bar Association, honesty Dominican Bar Association, and grandeur Puerto Rican Bar Association.
Judge Mella has taught administrative law likewise an adjunct professor at CUNY Law School.