Judiciary Committee Kicks Off Inaugural Breakfast with the Bench with Judge Rena Malik

On September 11, 2025, AABANY’s Judiciary Committee hosted the inaugural Breakfast with the Bench Event with the Honorable Rena Malik (New York City Civil Court, Kings County) at Junior’s Cheesecake in Brooklyn. AABANY members and non-members alike, including current law students and working professionals, came together to discuss with Judge Malik her path to the bench and the challenges she overcame to become a judge. Judge Malik, a former Co-Chair of the Judiciary Committee, shared how AABANY can assist those who are interested in becoming a judge a reality.

The Judiciary Committee aims to host regular events to allow members to engage and connect with the judiciary. The Committee encourages those interested in the courts, becoming a judge, or vetting potential judicial candidates to attend future events and to visit the Committee’s subpage on the AABANY website for more information.

In The News: The Brooklyn Daily Eagle Highlights AABANY’s “Pathways to the Bench” Event at New York Law School

On July 26, 2024, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle published an article about AABANY’s “Pathways to the Bench” event at New York Law School on July 23rd. The article summarizes the accounts of Hon. Lillian Won, Hon. Donald Leo, Hon. L. Austin D’Souza, and Hon. Rena Malik as they discussed their experiences being a judge, how they got there, and advice they had for aspiring judges.

To read the full article, click here.