![\"Judge](\"http:\/\/blog.spcollege.edu\/civic-engagement\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/27\/2016\/08\/header.jpg\")
<\/p>\nJudge Myriam Irizzary will lead a discussion about the issues facing the judicial system Tuesday, August 23rd at the Downtown SPC Campus DT210.<\/p>\n
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One of seven siblings, Myriam was raised by a single mother. She was born in the US territory of Puerto Rico, in a small shack with dirt floors and no running water. When she was two, she moved to the slums of New York. Her mom worked hard to provide for her and her siblings. Through tuition aid programs, she was able to go to Rutgers College, and Rutgers-Newark School of Law. In New Jersey she worked as a staff attorney for Middlesex County Legal Services representing indigent clients. Later she worked for the Middlesex County Public Defender\u2019s office before opening her own practice.<\/p>\n
In Pinellas, Judge Irizarry started working for the Pinellas County Clerk of the Courts Office where she had an extensive tenure as Chief Deputy\/General Counsel. She also was an Adjunct Instructor for the Paralegal Studies Department for St. Petersburg College.<\/p>\n
In 2015, Myriam Irizarry\u2019s lifelong dream was realized when she became the first Hispanic female to serve as a judge in Pinellas County.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"