New York City Could Soon Get Its First Caribbean Born Corporation Counsel

By NAN Staff Writer

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. Jan. 10, 2021: A Caribbean immigrant could make history by becoming New York City’s first Caribbean born corporation counsel if she is confirmed by the City Council.

New York City’s second black mayor, Mayor Eric Adams, on Friday nominated Barbadian-born Sylvia Hinds-Radix as the city’s first Caribbean born corporation counsel. The appointment came after she conducted the Mayor Adams’ swearing-in ceremony at the Times Square New Year’s celebration on January 1st.

If confirmed in the post of corporation counsel, she will lead the Big Apple’s Law Department, which is primarily responsible for providing legal representation to the city, the mayor, other elected officials, and City agencies in all affirmative and defensive civil litigation.

“The Law Department plays an indispensable role in providing the legal architecture needed for the administration to carry out its vision,” said Mayor Adams. “Sylvia Hinds-Radix has not only the brilliant legal mind, but also the emotional intelligence needed to lead the department as our next Corporation Counsel. I congratulate her on her history-making appointment.”

“I am honored to have been nominated by Mayor Eric Adams to undertake this tremendous responsibility of representing the people of this great City, as New York City’s Corporation Counsel,” said Hinds-Radix. “At this particular time in our history, with all of the challenges that we are facing, I look forward to ensuring that fairness and justice is carried out for the residents of the City of New York.”

Prior to her appointment to the Appellate Division, Hinds-Radix served as Administrative Judge for Civil Matters in the Second Judicial District for three and a half years.  In her capacity as Administrative Judge, she oversaw both the New York State Supreme Court, Civil Term and the New York City Civil Court, which also encompasses the Housing Court of the City of New York.

Hinds-Radix was elected to the Supreme Court, Kings County in November of 2004 and served as a New York City Civil Court Judge, from 2002 through 2004, spending her first year in the Criminal Court of Kings County. She began her legal career at District Council 37 Municipal Employees Legal Services. Hinds-Radix earned a B.S. from the University of Massachusetts, a master’s from Long Island University, and a J.D. from Howard University School of Law. She migrated to the US from Barbados in 1970.

Hinds-Radix is the last of seven children born to Dudley Dacosta and Germay Hinds of Sea View in St James. A past student of the Modern High School, she moved to the United States as a teenager.

While growing up, the young Sylvia would sit on her mother’s lap each day and listen to the radio drama, Portia Faces Life on Rediffusion – the continuing story of a female attorney who won all her cases. Hinds-Radix, at the tender age of eight, decided she too would be a successful lawyer. Dad’s advice With her parents’ guiding vision that “you can be anything you want to be”, she was nurtured to see that her dream came true. She never forgot her dad’s advice – “treat the garbage man as you would the king”. And so her empathy for all people was born. Hinds-Radix resides with her family in Brooklyn.

Under the City Charter, the nominee for Corporation Counsel must be confirmed by the City Council.