Bringing Experience, Equity, and Empathy to the Civil Court
Democratic Primary Election:
Early Voting: Saturday, June 13 - Sunday, June 21
Primary Election Day: Tuesday, June 23
Meet Danielle
Danielle Noel is an experienced court attorney referee who has practiced law for over a decade, and is running for Civil Court to bring equity, empathy, and real-world experience to the bench. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Cardozo Law School, Danielle has dedicated her career to ensuring the justice system works for everyone—not just those with power or resources.
A recognized expert on bias in the legal system, Danielle trains judges and attorneys on implicit bias. As a court attorney, she handles complex matrimonial and family law cases, some of the most emotional matters courts face, and understands firsthand the importance of patience, compassion, and fairness.
Danielle is committed to making courts more accessible, especially for people without lawyers, and supports clear procedures, language access, and respectful treatment for all.
A longtime Girl Scout troop leader, internship mentor, and Congregation Beth Elohim trustee, Danielle combines professional experience with strong community ties.
As a Civil Court Judge, Danielle will bring experience, empathy, and a commitment to equity to her work every day.
Danielle on the Issues
Danielle is running to bring experience, equity, and empathy to the Civil Court.
Experience: Danielle has seen firsthand the shortcomings of the judicial system and knows what it will take to make the courts operate better.
Better staffing of support personnel: There are not enough clerks, officers, and other support staff to open all of the courtrooms, and the support staff are overworked.
Better access to information: It is very difficult to obtain even basic information about a person’s case, especially for people who are unfamiliar with the system. Danielle will push to overhaul information access so that it is more user-friendly.
Equity: There has been some real progress toward making the court system more equitable, but hard work remains. Danielle will push for real, substantive change so that the way the courts function will reflect our values, not just what’s convenient.
Inadequate translation: Translation of court proceedings is available in most, but not all, languages. Court documents, however, are only translated to a few languages. Everyone should have access to translation of both court documents and court proceedings in their native language.
Bias: Danielle is an expert in fighting implicit bias in the judicial system, especially as it intersects with family law. Danielle will push for good anti-bias training to be mandatory for all attorneys, including judges.
Empathy: Danielle cares about the people she serves in court every day, and she wants to make the courts work better for them.
Improved resources and more patience for litigants who don’t have lawyers: Providing pro se litigants with sufficient attention and support is labor-intensive, and the courts often fall short. Danielle cares about the litigants she serves, and she will ensure that her courtroom is a space where they get the support that they need to ensure an equitable outcome.
Ensuring that litigants will feel like they were treated fairly: The court system can feel like a hostile environment and isn’t designed to serve litigants well. Danielle will push for transformative change in the way litigants are treated so that they can spend less time worried about being mistreated by the courts and spend more time focused on their cases.
What is the Civil Court?
The Civil Court is one of New York City's trial courts. It hears lawsuits that claim damages of up to $50,000.
Most of the matters in Civil Court involve litigants (plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners and/or respondents) that are pro se -- that is, they do not have a lawyer representing them. This makes it much more difficult for judges to ensure that the case is conducted fairly, since the litigants are not aware of what they should be saying or doing to bolster their case.
Civil Court judges are frequently reassigned to other courts to fill openings. This means that a Civil Court judge could sit in Criminal Court, Housing Court, or Family Court, or be appointed as an Acting Supreme Court Justice, and they could be assigned to work in any county in the city. These personnel decisions are made by the Office of Court Administration, which is a state agency.
Because Civil Court judges are so frequently reassigned to other courts, an ability to learn quickly and a background in other areas of the law are extremely valuable.
Civil Court judges can either be elected countywide or in a municipal court district and they serve 10-year terms. Danielle is running in the 6th district, which encompasses the neighborhoods of Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Flatbush, Prospect Park South, Ditmas Park, and parts of Crown Heights, Kensington, and Midwood. You can view a map of the district here.
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