Kathleen Wojtaszek-Gariano

Mark Grisanti

May 20, 2011

Kathleen Wojtaszek-Gariano

Award: HONORING WOMEN IN NEW YORK

Year: 2011

Kathleen Wojtaszek-Gariano has served as Court Attorney and Law Clerk in Niagara County Family Court for the past nine years and has devoted her 17 year law career focusing on family law.

As a private practitioner, Ms. Wojtaszek-Gariano has handled matrimonial and family court cases in which she has represented children as a law guardian (now called Attorney for the Child). She served as an Assistant Niagara County Attorney, where she prosecuted Persons In Need of Supervision (PINS) and juvenile delinquency cases in Family Court. She later served as Niagara Falls City Court Judge, where she was elevated to Acting Family Court Judge after Judge Crapsi’s death. She remained in Family Court, serving as Judge Seaman’s law clerk. As a law clerk, Ms. Wojtaszek-Gariano conducts pre-hearing conferences, prepares and reviews orders, attends meetings and conferences for the court, and conducts research for the judge. She has been praised by attorneys and litigants alike for her patience and temperament in her ability to help settle even the most contentious cases.

In addition to her dedicated service to the community in the workplace, Ms. Wojtaszek-Gariano also serves on the Board of Directors for Community Missions, Inc. and Health Association of Niagara County, Inc. and is an active member of the Niagara County Bar Association and the Judges and Police Executive Conference of Niagara County. 

A resident of the City of Niagara Falls, Ms. Wojtaszek-Gariano and her husband Tom have three children, Rob, Francesca and David. Besides being an avid fan of her children’s sports, Ms. Wojtaszek-Gariano has coached soccer and basketball at Prince of Peace and St. Dominic Savio; softball for the Cayuga Girls Softball League; and is actively involved in the coordination of the soccer program for the Catholic Academy of Niagara Falls.