Hon. Patricia M. DiMango (ret.)
Hon. Patricia M. DiMango is a former justice of the New York State Supreme Court, Kings County. She joins Mediation Solutions as a mediator after a career which included not only time on the bench, but also as a college professor, a New York City public school teacher, and a television personality. She became known for her efficiency in closing a vast number of cases in a fair and timely fashion, and she brings that and her reputation as a stern but fair judge with a balance of street smarts and legal knowledge to our panel of neutrals.
Currently, Justice DiMango serves as one of three judges on Amazon Freevee’s “Tribunal Justice,” created by Judge Judy Sheindlin, and previously appeared as a judge on the Emmy-nominated series, “Hot Bench.”
Justice DiMango holds a bachelor’s degree cum laude from Brooklyn College in both Psychology and Education. Upon her graduation from college, Justice DiMango was an elementary school teacher in the New York City Public Schools, focusing on special education of children with emotional and cognitive needs. During her teaching years and before law school she earned a master’s degree from Columbia University in Developmental Psychology. She received her law degree from St. John’s University where she graduated in the top of her class and received awards and scholarships in recognition for her other academic achievements.
Upon her graduation from law school, she served over five years as an Assistant District Attorney in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. During her tenure there, she was given the extra responsibility of being cross designated as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. She later worked as a law clerk in both Kings and Queens Counties to Supreme Court Justices Steven Fisher, Reinaldo Rivera, and Luigi Marano. During this time, Justice DiMango also volunteered as a Small Claims Court Arbitrator.
Justice DiMango was first appointed to serve as a Judge of the Criminal Courts for the City of New York in 1995 and became the first Italian-American woman ever appointed to that position. In 1998, she was appointed as Acting Justice of the Supreme Court, and in 2002 she was elected to the New York State Supreme Court bench. Once again, she was the first Italian-American woman elected to that position.
In the course of her judicial career, she gained public recognition for handling high-profile trials, particularly those involving murders of young children, other crimes against children and hate-crime murders. She was also recognized for handling large volumes of serious felony cases from arraignment through trial.
The Chief Judge of the State of New York selected Justice DiMango to spearhead his initiative to reduce the backlog of felony matters in the Bronx. This initiative garnered front page coverage in The New York Times and resulted in her appointment to the position of Administrative Judge of the New York State Supreme Court, Criminal Term, Kings County.
After leaving the bench, she returned to her passion for education and became an Adjunct Associate Professor of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Legal Research and Writing and Forensic Psychology at St. John’s University for approximately 10 years. She also served as an Adjunct Associate Professor at New York City Technical College teaching Criminal Law and Procedure.
Judge DiMango has received numerous awards and accolades in the course of her career. More than a dozen of Justice DiMango’s court decisions have been published along with her contributions to numerous bar association journals. She has appeared on numerous television programs including “The View,” “Wendy Williams,” “Rachael Ray” and “Steve Harvey” and can be heard on many talk radio shows and podcasts. She has also been featured giving legal insight on stories on “Entertainment Tonight,” Fox News, “VH1,” “Banfield” and “Inside Edition” among others.
Judge DiMango is available for mediation virtually, or in our New York City, Westhampton, or Southampton offices.
Mediating/Arbitrating Cases In:
- Matrimonial and family law
Memberships and Professional Activities
Chair, Board of Directors, Law and Paralegal Studies Department, New York City Technical College
Chair, Assigned Counsel Advisory Committee for the 2nd, 11th, and 13th Judicial Districts
Member, Board of Directors, The Cathedral Club of Brooklyn
Education
St. John’s University School of Law, J.D.
Columbia University Teachers College, M.A.
Brooklyn College at the City University of New York, B.S.
Honors and Awards
Alumna of the Year, Brooklyn College (2012)
Rapallo Award (2012)
Distinguished Judiciary Award, Catholic Lawyers Guild (2012)
“Woman of the Year”, New York State Supreme Court Officers Association (2013)
“Woman of the Year”, New York State Court Officers Association (2013)
Master of Ceremonies, NY State Broadcasters Association Awards (2013)
Grand Marshal, Brooklyn Columbus Day Parade (2015)
“Woman Of the Year”, The Home Reporter and Brooklyn Spectator’s “Kings of Kings” event (2015)
Honored celebrity speaker, The Greater New York Dental Association National Convention (2015)
“Woman of The Year”, Italian Charities of America (2016)
Keynote speaker, Brooklyn Daily Eagle “Champions of Justice” event honoring outstanding women in the court system (2019)
Professional Experience
Teacher, New York City Public Schools (years)
Assistant District Attorney, Kings County District Attorney’s Office (years)
Special Assistant United States Attorney, Eastern District of New York (years)
Law clerk, Kings and Queens Counties to Supreme Court Justices Steven Fisher, Reinaldo Rivera, and Luigi Marano
Small Claims Court Arbitrator, [courts] (years)
Judge, Criminal Courts of the City of New York (1995-1998)
Acting Supreme Court Justice, Kings County (1998-2002)
Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, Kings County (2002-2014)
- Administrative Judge, New York State Supreme Court, Criminal Term, Kings County