Hon. Jane Pearl (ret.)

Attorney – Special Counsel

Judge Jane Pearl is a highly respected judge and attorney with almost 28 years’ experience handling all types of family law cases throughout New York City. She is also an experienced psychologist with a PhD from Northwestern University. Judge Pearl is a valuable member of the Mandel Law team.

Whether serving families as a mediator, a court attorney, or as a judge for the Family Court of the State of New York, Judge Jane Pearl’s focus has always been on helping families with vital legal matters. She is the only clinical psychologist/former judge in New York State, and she brings a unique perspective to the practice of family law to the Mandel Law Firm.

Madelyn Jaye - Litigation Lawyer in New York

Judge Pearl consults with clients, litigates and mediates cases, and accepts assignments as a Parent Coordinator and an Attorney for Children. Judge Pearl also uses her expertise to provide peer reviews of forensic evaluations in child custody matters, in addition to offering her services as a trial consultant to members of the bar.Over the course of her career, Judge Pearl’s focus has been on helping parents, children, older adolescents, and families. Jane Pearl approaches her work from both a clinical and legal perspective. She understands that family issues can be emotional and confusing, which is why she places such a heavy emphasis on providing personalized attention to each of her clients.

Even when cases get tough, Jane Pearl is driven by the knowledge that she is making a real difference in the lives of her clients. When she was a judge, facilitating adoptions and family reunification was one of the most rewarding aspects of her work.

Jane Pearl’s background in psychology has been a significant influence on her work as an attorney. While engaged in clinical psychology and engaging in psychological research, she was also teaching behavioral science in medical school, helping doctors see their patients as people rather than as their illnesses. This background gave her the tools to evaluate her cases in a just and compassionate way and the empathy to understand her clients’ needs.

As Jane Pearl begins practicing at The Mandel Law Firm, her focus is on helping parents resolve child custody issues and guiding them to an expanded definition of what it means to win in a custody case. She also hopes to help children navigate the legal process when parents are in contentious conflict and to help families resolve disputes amicably through mediation and parenting coordination.

Jane Pearl was drawn to The Mandel Law Firm because of the firm’s focus on families, including her own. At The Mandel Law Firm, she hopes to put her interdisciplinary background in mental health and law to good use, helping families iron out disagreements before they turn into legal battles.

Path to Law

In college, Jane Pearl studied English and Education at George Washington University before obtaining a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at Northwestern University. While in Chicago, she also gained clinical training and experience in clinical work. Jane Pearl was first exposed to the law when she took law courses during her time as a psychology student.

At the time, she was intrigued by family law and the law as it relates to women and mental health. Throughout her life, she has been driven by a desire to make a meaningful impact in the lives of others. She began her career working in clinical psychology and also worked as a professor and counselor at the university in Tel Aviv before transitioning into law.

Recognized as a “Rising Star”, in 2000, she was appointed to the Family Court bench. She was proudly re-appointed in 2009 and again in 2019. Judge Pearl sat in Court with distinction until December 31, 2021. An esteemed jurist, Judge Pearl had an incredible 144,367 family cases calendared before her during her last 21 years on the bench.

Judge Pearl returned to private practice at the start of 2022.

In her free time, Jane Pearl loves to travel. She is the doting grandmother of twins.

Bar Admissions

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Judge for the Family Court of the State of New York

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Valuable member of the Mandel Law team.

Education

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PhD from Northwestern University