Leah Shapiro

The Honorable Leah Shapiro is the Presiding Judge of the 315th District Court, Harris County, Texas. Judge Shapiro, elected in 2018, was sworn in January 2019. Judge Shapiro presides over the CARE Court: Creating Acceptance Recovery Empowerment Court, a specialty court designed to serve victims of juvenile sex trafficking. The 315th District Court’s Associate Judge, Judge Carr, presides over Court 360, the Juvenile Mental Health Court. Judge Shapiro and Judge Carr work to improve the lives of youth involved in both the delinquency and child welfare systems by presiding over the Dual Status Docket.

As a member of the Houston Area Child Sex Trafficking Team Advisory Council, Judge Shapiro works to improve collaboration and transparency, eliminate the additional victimization caused by detention in the criminal justice system, and ensure that every Houston-area child sex trafficking victim receives the most coordinated, effective, and trauma-informed response possible. In addition to serving on the Harris County Juvenile Board, Judge Shapiro serves as a member of the Harris County Judicial Working Group and Jury Committee, where she, along with other judges, coordinated jury plans, crafted policies and procedures with local authorities, assisted with compliance coordination, and addressed the needs of the county and district courts during the pandemic.

Judge Shapiro attended New York University where she received her bachelors of arts in philosophy. Judge Shapiro received her law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law. She began her career as an Assistant District Attorney at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. Judge Shapiro was a member of the inaugural Juvenile Division of the Harris County Public Defender’s Office in 2011. Judge Shapiro was re-elected to her second term that began in 2023.