PROFILE

Delores Heredia Ward, Esq.

Delores Heredia Ward began her legal career in the 1980's as a paralegal for several solo practitioners in Long Island New York, working in the areas of family law, real estate, federal civil rights claims, and criminal law. She earned her J.D. in 1990 from Hofstra University School of Law, Hempstead, New York, where she was an active member of the Latino Law Student’s Association. She earned her law degree while raising two young boys as a single parent.

After earning her J.D., Ms. Ward served in the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office in New York as an Assistant District Attorney for thirteen years. Since arriving in the D.C. Metro area, Ms. Ward has served two national organizations, providing training and technical assistance to juvenile justice practitioners across the United States.

She is a proud member of the Fairfax Bar Association where she served on the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Committee for several years. She is married and is the proud mother of four and grandmother of four wonderful and unique people.

Ms. Ward attributes her success to her ability to focus on goals, creating plans, working hard, and creative problem-solving in overcoming obstacles. Trust and integrity are the values she lives by.

Prosecution Experience

Delores Heredia Ward is an accomplished attorney with over thirteen years of prosecution experience. She has prosecuted thousands of criminal cases as Assistant District Attorney in Nassau County, New York. She has supervised and trained new attorneys, handled misdemeanor and felony appeals, conducted trials and responded to hundreds of discovery and other motions, researched and argued procedural and evidentiary, has prepared civilian, law enforcement, and expert witnesses for testimony and negotiated dispositions.

Problem-Solving Courts and Community Prosecution

Delores Heredia Ward served the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office as a community-oriented prosecutor working to reduce crime by working with the community in high-crime areas to address the conditions that allow crime to flourish. She represented the District Attorney on the board of an afterschool program in a high-crime area, helping to coordinate and enrich the services provided. She also represented the District Attorney in the planning and implementation of a Misdemeanor Treatment Court while building coalitions with community organizations and managing the Community Court prosecution of quality of life crimes. She was actively involved in the Community Court Community Service program, assisting in developing projects that benefited the community including environmental cleanups, graffiti removal, and Dress for Success collections.

National Justice Experience

Delores Heredia Ward also has senior-level experience managing and providing training programs to prosecutors as a nationally-recognized subject-matter expert in Community Prosecution, Community and Treatment Courts, and Juvenile Justice.

As a Director of the National Juvenile Justice Prosecution Center for the American Prosecutors Research Institute, she oversaw the provision of technical assistance and training to local prosecutors and juvenile justice staff while working effectively with federal, state, and county agencies. She coordinated, prepared, and facilitated multidisciplinary national, state, and local training programs for juvenile justice practitioners. As a Senior Attorney in the National Center for Community Prosecution for the American Prosecutors Research Institute, she provided technical assistance to state and local prosecutors.

Publication Experience

Ms. Ward oversaw the publication of monographs and articles highlighting community prosecution successes and juvenile justice issues.

Volunteer Activities

In addition to her public service, Delores Heredia Ward has a long history of volunteer work. Ms. Ward has participated in volunteer activities with the following organizations:

Northern Virginia Legal Services
Fairfax Bar Association
Kids in Need of Defense
Girls Scouts of America

Professional Licenses/Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice

New York, 1991 to Present
Virginia, 2010 to Present
District of Columbia, 2011 to 2020

Bar Association Memberships

Fairfax Bar Association

Experience

Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, New York 1990-2003
Assistant District Attorney

Community Justice Center Coordinator, 2002-2003
Community Prosecutor, 2000-2002
Arraignment and Trial Assignment Supervisor, District Court Trial Bureau, 1999-2000
Appeals Assistant & Search Warrant Assistant, 1994-1998

Trial Assistant, 1990-1994

American Prosecutors Research Institute, Virginia 2004-2006

Director, National Juvenile Justice Prosecution Center
Senior Attorney, National Center for Community Prosecution

ICF International, Virginia 2006-2009

Senior Associate, ICF International
Deputy Director, National Training and Technical Assistance Center, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Delores Heredia Ward, Esq., PLLC, Virginia 2011-present

Sole Proprietor, Delores Heredia Ward, Esq., PLLC

Education

Hofstra University School of Law, Hempstead, New York, J.D., May 1990
Long Island University, C.W. Post, Greenvale, New York, B.A., May 1986