Women Legal Leaders: Past, Present and Future

The NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers is the largest statewide trial bar in the US with 5,700+ lawyer and judge members. We are committed to protecting, preserving and enhancing the civil justice system. Our highly acclaimed CLE programming features extraordinary presenters covering the most timely and important topics.

A graduate of Brooklyn Law School, Andrea is Managing Attorney of plaintiff’s personal injury firm which concentrates its practice in the areas of medical malpractice, product liability, and significant personal injury. She is the Chair of the Grievance Committee for the Second, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Judicial Districts, sits on the Academy’s board as a Second District representative, and is certified in Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance.

Hon. Sylvia Hinds-Radix (Ret.) joined JAMS in 2024 after a distinguished career as NYC’s 81st corporation counsel and as a jurist in New York State courts. Most recently, she served from 2012 to 2022 as an associate justice of the NYS Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department. Judge Hinds-Radix was the first Caribbean-born woman, the first woman of color, and the second woman overall to serve as corporation counsel.

Angélicque Moreno has been principal and partner at Avanzino & Moreno since 2008 in Brooklyn, NY. She focuses her practice on labor law and construction accidents, product liability, premises liability, negligent security, civil rights violation and automotive cases. She has honed her trial skills at several firms throughout New York and has successfully overseen hundreds of cases from their inception up to and including trial throughout her career. Her understanding of the profound impact that accidents have upon individuals and their families, and her ability to translate legal concepts of fault and damages to a jury in “everyday” terms have allowed her to achieve substantial results for victims suffering from life altering injuries. To her credit, she has numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements. Ms. Moreno received a B.A. from Binghamton University in 1990 and a J.D. and from Northeastern University School of Law in 1993. She is very active in the legal community, most recently as President of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers (2019-2020) and sits on the Academy’s Judicial Screening Committee since 2014. She is also active in the leadership of the New York State Bar Association, the Brooklyn Bar Association, the Brooklyn Women’s Bar Association, and the New York City Trial Lawyers’ Alliance. She has lectured frequently on a variety of topics for the NYS Academy of Trial Lawyers, and has contributed to the Annual Update series for over ten years as a presenter and in recent years as co-author of the Labor Law section.

Pauline Yeung-Ha extends her work with the elder community as Secretary on the Board of Directors of CaringKind (formerly Alzheimer’s Association, NYC Chapter), and as Chair Emeritus of the Pro Bono Clinic of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY). The Pro Bono Clinic was named as AABANY’s Committee of the Year for 2016 and Program of the Year for 2017 and awarded New York State Bar Association’s Bar Leaders Innovation Award for 2020. Ms. Yeung-Ha’s recognitions include being an Honoree of the St. John’s University School of Law Chapter of the Asian-Pacific American Law Student’s Association (APALSA) in 2018, “Super Lawyer” from 2015 to 2022, and “Best Lawyer” from 2012 to 2022. In 2022, Pauline Yeung-Ha accepted an award as an Honoree of Women’s History Month Celebration from the Brooklyn DA’s office, the Brooklyn Borough President’s office and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. She was one of ten successful Women Business Owners of New York City nominated for this award. In 2017, she was an Honoree by General Human Outreach in the Community, Inc. Ms. Yeung-Ha was an Honoree of the Chinese-American Planning Council, Inc., Brooklyn Branch, for service and dedication to the Brooklyn Chinese community in 2015, and NAPABA’s “Best Lawyer Under 40” in 2011. Ms. Yeung-Ha regularly gives community seminars in Cantonese Chinese on a wide variety of elder law and estate planning topics. She received her undergraduate degree from Vassar College and her law degree from St. John’s University School of Law, and is admitted to practice in both New York and New Jersey.

Christina Golkien is a rising star in the Brooklyn legal community. She began her career in the Kings County District Attorney's Office and currently works in the New York City Department of Education’s special education unit. Christina is the founder of the Brooklyn Bar Association's LGBTQ+ Committee and serves as a member of its executive board. She is expected to become president of the Brooklyn Bar Association in approximately three years. In addition to her legal work, Christina volunteers for the New York Guard, providing legal assistance to service members and their families. She is actively involved in both the legal community and the broader Brooklyn community.