Melissa is a Principal Court Attorney with the New York State Unified Court System and has served in the New York City Criminal and Civil Courts and the New York State Supreme Court. Currently assigned to the chambers of the Supervising Judge of the Civil Court – New York County, her responsibilities include researching complex legal issues, drafting memoranda and decisions, conducting conferences, coordinating assignments to judges of the Civil Court, and enacting court-wide operational policies.

Prior to joining the Unified Court System, Melissa served as a trial attorney with the Criminal Defense Practice of the Legal Aid Society. For nearly a decade, she advocated on behalf of hundreds of individuals charged with crimes in Bronx County. Her work included extensive case investigation, hearings and trials, and post-conviction litigation.

Melissa received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Washington University in St. Louis and her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, where she served on the editorial board of the American Intellectual Property Law Association Quarterly Journal. Melissa is admitted to the New York State Bar and is a member of the Asian American Bar Association of New York.