Experience and Perspective
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Experience and Perspective
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Professional Accomplishments |
Judge Shapiro was sworn in as the Presiding Judge of the 315th District Court on January 1, 2019. Within months of taking the bench, Judge Shapiro ended indiscriminate shackling of detained youth appearing in the 315th District Court. She continues to advocate to end shackling of youth by working with the Supreme Court of Texas Children’s Commission Restraints in Juvenile Court. She brought to the bench her experience as a prosecutor and assistant public defender.
Judge Shapiro presides over one of the two specialty courts in the 315th District Court to address the specific needs of victims of juvenile sex trafficking—C.A.R.E. Court: Creating Acceptance Recovery Empowerment Court. The court serves youth actively engaged in or at risk of becoming involved in commercial sexual exploitation/sex trafficking by offering specialized supervision and therapeutic services. In an effort to enhance the experience of the youth and families interacting with the 315th District Court, Judge Shapiro completed the TCU Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) workshop with her C.A.R.E. Court team. In addition to two specialty courts, Judge Shapiro and her associate judge, Judge Fisher piloted a Dual Status Docket, the first of its kind in Harris County. As one of the most vulnerable populations involved in the court system, the Dual Status Docket meets with youth involved in both the delinquency and dependency system to address their specific needs, trauma and eliminate duplication. Judge Shapiro also aims to better systems and education beyond the matters appearing in the 315th District Court. As a member of the Houston Area Child Sex Trafficking Team Advisory Council, she works to improve collaboration and transparency, eliminate the additional victimization caused by detention in the criminal justice system, and ensure that every Houston-area child sex trafficking victim receives the most coordinated, effective, and trauma-informed response possible. She recently joined the Supreme Court of Texas Children’s Commission Human Trafficking Judicial Workgroup. She collaborates with members of the judiciary throughout the state to update the Children’s Commission Human Trafficking Bench Book and bench card. Recently, Judge Shapiro was honored to be invited to the Children’s Justice Act Statewide Multidisciplinary Task Force. She, along with stakeholders from across the state, are taking on the task to eliminate child sex abuse. Closer to home Judge Shapiro sits, for the second time, as the Harris County Juvenile Board Vice Chair, Secretary. As a member of the Harris County Juvenile Board, Judge Shapiro sponsored the amendment to require bias education for attorneys seeking court appointments to represent indigent clients. Judge Shapiro is a member of the Harris County Judicial Working Group and Jury Committee, where she, along with other judges, coordinated jury plans, crafted policies and procedures with local authorities, assisted with compliance coordination, and addressed the needs of the county and district courts during the pandemic. |
Early Life
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Judge Shapiro is proud to be of the fifth generation of a Galveston family. At a very young age, her family relocated north of Austin to Round Rock. She attended New York University where she received her bachelors of arts in philosophy. In 2003 Judge Shapiro began law school in San Antonio at St. Mary’s University School of Law. She completed her final semester of law school at the University of Houston Law Center and received her law degree from St. Mary’s in 2006.
Prior to becoming elected, Judge Shapiro began her mission to serve the citizens of Harris County as an intern in the child abuse division of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. After almost five years at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Judge Shapiro left to briefly open a private practice before finally joining the Harris County Public Defender’s Office in 2011. While at the Harris County Public Defender’s Office, Judge Shapiro served in the Juvenile Division and as a defense attorney in the Felony Mental Health Court. There she represented adults on felony probation with a mental health diagnosis. Judge Shapiro was a founding member of C.A.R.E. Court, which works with victims of sex trafficking and their families as they rebuild their relationships and lives. Judge Shapiro also started the Know Your Rights Campaign, going into the community educating the youth and citizens of Harris County about their individual rights when interacting with law enforcement. She is a member of the Harris County Dual Status Taskforce where she works with other organizations to improve the treatment of children involved in both the foster care and delinquency systems. Judge Shapiro resides in Houston with her fiancé. She is an avid runner and is excited to reconnect with friends and family as the world reopens after the challenges of COVID-19. |
Re-Elect Judge Leah Shapiro for 315th District Court |
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© 2021 | Political advertising paid for by the Leah Shapiro Campaign for Judge, Pankti Patel, Treasurer, which subscribes to the Code of Fair Campaign Practices.
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