Judge Judy's Her Honor Mentoring Marks 20 Years of Empowering Young Women

Judge Judy Sheindlin is celebrating a milestone that has nothing to do with her courtroom. Her Honor Mentoring, the program she co-founded with her daughter Nicole Sheindlin, has just marked its 20th anniversary, growing from a first class of eight or nine women into a network that has welcomed roughly 2,500 participants over two decades.

The program pairs young women from high schools across the New York region with professional mentors, combining career guidance with paid work experience and financial literacy training. According to Sheindlin, the formula is straightforward but effective. «It's the combination of the mentoring and the financial part of it — which is the girls get paid for working… and learning how to dress for success, learning about making first impressions, learning how to manage your money and just knowing how to grow up financially prepared to be an adult,» she said.

Over the past 20 years, Her Honor has drawn 1,500 mentees from 31 high schools and more than 1,000 mentors from 400 organizations and businesses. The most recent class in September saw over 100 participants, a stark contrast to the program's humble beginnings. The 2026-27 class consists of 108 mentees and 123 mentors across 14 schools in Bronx, Rockland, and Westchester counties.

Sheindlin credits the program's success with renewing her optimism about younger generations. «This small cohort makes me hopeful,» she said. «I think that you become jaded when you see so much dysfunction. I've been around so much adult dysfunction and juvenile dysfunction, that to see young people still hoping and dreaming, wanting to work hard to realize their dream… makes you feel good.»

Nicole Sheindlin, the program's CEO, described Her Honor as a natural extension of her relationship with her stepmother. The two attended the same law school, and Nicole sat on the bench with Judge Judy during her time in family court. «The power and the impact of having a professional woman, a strong woman be a mentor, be a guide, be a supporter» became the guiding principle of the program, Nicole said.

The mentoring model connects participants with professionals across various industries. During 20 weekly meetings throughout the academic year, mentoring teams explore education, career, and financial literacy topics. Mentees also complete four electives, which include field trips, digital courses, and creative projects.

Several former mentees have returned as mentors, a cycle Sheindlin views as central to the program's mission. «We're teaching them to give back,» she said. «We're teaching these young women the importance of being not only for themselves. But then once you've realized that, to supporting others with your time and your talent.»

One such participant is Lilliana Mendoza, a 2016 Her Honor mentee who now serves as a police officer in the Mamaroneck Police Department. Mendoza, the first woman in her family to attend college, said the program helped her overcome shyness and develop people skills. «Throughout my mentorship, I learned to have a lot of empathy for people and understand how people are,» she said.

Current mentee Keiry Alvarez joined after her sister credited Her Honor with helping her become more confident and outspoken. Alvarez and Mendoza both said they were grateful for the program's role in helping them find their voices.

Sheindlin, who recently announced she is «rewiring» and handing over her TV courtroom drama to her son Adam Levy, remains deeply involved in Her Honor. She described the project as «simple, but satisfying» and praised the drive of its participants. «They want to be their own engines,» she said. «They want to be the engine that pulls their own train.»

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Connor Quincy

Technology Reporter

Connor Quincy covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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