ATTORNEY PROFILE

Azzmeiah R. Vázquez was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in Newark, New Jersey. After graduating from St. Vincent’s Academy in Newark, Ms. Vázquez received her Bachelor’s degree in Administration of Justice and Political Science in 1988 from Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Ms. Vázquez began her legal education at Rutgers School of Law – Newark and received her Juris Doctor degree in 1991. Ms. Vázquez was admitted to the New Jersey Bar and United States District Court for the District of New Jersey in 1991 and to the New York Bar in 1992.

During her legal career, Ms. Vázquez clerked for the Honorable Irvin B. Booker of the New Jersey Superior Court, Essex County. She was subsequently employed as Lead Attorney with the United States Department of Justice – Federal Bureau of Prisons for almost 11 years. In addition, Ms. Vazquez was an Executive Staff Member and served as the Public Information and Ethics Officers for one of the Bureau’s New York facilities. Ms. Vázquez has received numerous honors and awards from the Department of Justice, including a national award from the Public Affairs Division for Exceptional Management of Media Issues and for Fostering Exceptional Media Relations in her handling of cases involving notorious prisoners such as Michael Swango, aka “Dr. Death”, the Reverend Al Sharpton and 3 New York politicians (The “Vieques 4”), Justin Volpe and Charles Schwartz (Abner Louima case), John Gotti, Jr., Peter Gotti, Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, and most recently, over 80 suspects and material witnesses detained for their alleged involvement in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Ms. Vázquez is married and lives in Burlington County with her husband and three daughters.