According to the Dominican Bar Association in 2017 "Hon. Diccia Pineda-Kirwan New York State Supreme Court, Queens County Justice Diccia T. Pineda-Kirwan has been sitting in the New York State Supreme Court, Queens County, since January 2010. Prior to her election to the Supreme Court, she served as a judge in the Civil Court of the City of New York, Queens County, since January 2003. She is the first Latina elected to the bench and to public office in the history of Queens County, as well as the first female Dominican-born judge to be elected in the state of New York. Prior to serving as a judge, Justice Pineda-Kirwan worked in the judicial branch for more than 13 years. Born in Baitoa, Santiago in the Dominican Republic as one of seven children, Justice Pineda-Kirwan was nine years old when she moved to New York to join her family, who had previously emigrated there. She and her family settled in Hollis, Queens, where she then attended public schools. After graduating from Jamaica High School, Justice Pineda-Kirwan went on to attend Queens College, even though her family had already returned to the Dominican Republic. She graduated cum laude while double majoring in Spanish and Secondary Education with a minor in French and Theatre/Dance".
