by Patricia Watler Johnson. Patricia Watler Johnson has been a RVT Cooperator for over 30 years and a West Harlem community leader since 1993
The River View Towers Hispanic Heritage Committee honors retired Judge Faviola A. Soto during this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month Ceremony.
The Honorable Faviola A. Soto has been a River View Towers cooperator for over 48 years who made history as the first Dominican-American to be elected as a judge in the State of New York.
Judge Soto is the oldest of four daughters born to Ana Ureña and Rafael Felix, who met while working in NYC’s Garment District and married when Rafael returned to New York after serving in the U. S. Army during the Korean War. Her family settled in Hamilton Heights where young Faviola attended NYC public schools. She graduated from George Washington High School and later earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Math and Economics from the City College of New York. She received a full legal scholarship and, in 1978, graduated from New York Law School and was admitted to the Bar of the State of New York in March 1979.
After graduation, Soto worked at Bronx Legal Services as a pro bono attorney. She went into private practice from 1980 to 1982 practicing general civil and criminal law in the Bronx and Manhattan and also presided over child support cases as a Hearing Examiner in Family Court. She also worked as an 18B Family Court attorney for nearly 10 years.
Judge Soto’s historic nomination and election took place in 1993 becoming a Civil Court Judge in New York City’s 7th Municipal District serving Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights and Inwood. She was reelected to the Civil Court in 2003. From January 2002 to June 2006, she was appointed an Acting Supreme Court Justice, New York County, presiding over a wide variety of civil cases.
In 2006, Judge Soto was nominated by former NYS Governor George E. Pataki to the position of NYS Court of Claims judge and was confirmed by the NYS Senate, making history again as the first Hispanic to serve in that capacity, serving until 2022. She also served as a Trial Judge and an Acting Supreme Court Judge in Bronx County.
In recognition of her exemplary legal achievements, Judge Soto was honored in April 2014 by the Bronx Bar Association as their Judge of the Year.
In 2021, the Dominican Bar Association created the Faviola Soto Internship in her honor, recognizing her as a trailblazer in the Dominican community.
Judge Soto is most proud of her family and of being the mother of six children and grandmother of ten. She has much love and respect for the River View Towers community, saying “I felt a great accomplishment in being the first Dominican judge in the State of New York,” she says “and I am grateful that my neighbors and friends supported me right from the start. I am very proud to represent my community and all New Yorkers.” And we are very proud of Judge Soto and all her outstanding accomplishments.
Thank you, Judge Soto, for your exemplary service to the State of New York and for being an inspiration to the River View Towers community and beyond.
Graphic: CUNY Dominican Studies Institute
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