On June 11, a celebration of Caribbean-American excellence in law, public leadership, and community service drew more than 300 members of the U.S. legal community to Brooklyn’s El Caribe Country Club, where Antiguan-born and raised attorney Lynelle Maginley-Liddie took home the Caribbean American Lawyers Association (CALA)’s top public service honor.
Maginley-Liddie, who previously served as commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction—stewarding the largest municipal jail system in the United States—was among a cohort of distinguished leaders recognized during CALA’s annual gala for their lasting contributions to the legal field and public good. The evening’s program was hosted by Karlyne Fequiere, chief assistant corporation counsel of the New York City Law Department, while founding CALA president and retired judge Sylvia Hinds-Radix opened the event with a formal welcome address.
Founded six years ago at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, CALA has experienced steady growth to become a key support system for Caribbean-American legal professionals across the Northeast. The organization advances its mission through a range of programs: it awards academic scholarships to promising law students, hosts accredited continuing legal education courses for practicing attorneys, runs community outreach initiatives to expand access to legal resources, and builds collaborative partnerships with peer organizations to lift up the Caribbean-American legal community.
In her presidential remarks delivered during the gala, Hinds-Radix reaffirmed CALA’s core institutional commitments: nurturing the next generation of legal talent and upholding the principles of the rule of law across all sectors of public life.
Maginley-Liddie was not the only leader honored during the celebratory evening. Other award recipients included Yvette Hinds-Wills, who received the Founder’s Award; New York State Supreme Court (Queens County) Justice Karen Gopee, named Outstanding Jurist of the Year; Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives Edwina Richardson, who was presented with the President’s Award; District Council 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido, honored with the Pinnacle of Leadership Award; and Dr. Millicent Comrie, founder and director of the Center of Women’s Health at Maimonides Medical Center, who received the night’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
For Maginley-Liddie, the Outstanding Public Servant Award marks another milestone in a decades-long career of distinguished public service. Beyond recognizing her individual work, the honor also brings renewed attention to the widespread, impactful contributions of Antiguan professionals who hold senior leadership roles across the United States, showcasing the influence of Caribbean diaspora communities in American public life.