About Irene

Irene Angelakis received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University in 2004 and her Juris Doctor from Hofstra University School of Law in 2007.  She was admitted to practice in the State of New York, Second Judicial Department in 2008.  Throughout the last seven years, she has worked in both the private and public sector.

Upon graduating, Irene represented clients in matrimonial, child support, family offense, custody and visitation proceedings as an Associate Attorney with the Law Offices of Maria Schwartz.   In 2009, Irene joined the Children’s Law Center where she fiercely advocated for over three hundred clients in custody, visitation, paternity, neglect, termination of parental rights, family offense, substance abuse, and domestic violence proceedings.  In that time, Irene successfully litigated over twenty trials involving complex issues of law and fact and was eventually promoted to “Senior Attorney.”   During her time at the Children’s Law Center, Irene received extensive training  and experience on children at the center of divorce proceedings and has a unique perspective on the critical impact that these proceedings have in the lives of children.

Several academic institutions have repeatedly invited Irene as a guest speaker including St. John’s University School of Law, Brooklyn Law School Clinic, CUNY Law, and BramsonOrt.  Irene presented on topics including custody, visitation, ethics, confidentiality, basics of a matrimonial case, domestic violence and the role of the attorney for the child.  In addition to presenting at various academic institutions, she has taught continuing legal education courses to colleagues such as “Ethical Considerations in Family Law Cases,”  “Traumatic Exposure,” and “The Role of the Attorney for the Child.”

From 2010 through 2014, Irene was an active member of several court based committees including the Family Court Domestic Violence Working Group, Child Protective Working Group, and the Disproportionate Minority Representation Working Group.  She was also an active member of several internal committee’s at the Children’s Law Center during that time, including the Training Committee and the Legislation Working Group.  Irene is presently a member of the American Bar Association, Family Law Section and the New York State Bar Association,  Family Law Section.