Biography

Judge Cynthia Lu currently presides in Department 5 of the Second Judicial District Court. Judge Lu oversees family court cases, which has included dissolution of marriage, custody/visitation, abuse/neglect, termination of parental rights, adoptions, Family Treatment Court, and civil commitments. Judge Lu was honored to be the first minority elected to the Second Judicial District Court in 2014. Prior to her election, Judge Lu was honored to be the first minority appointed as a Family Division Court Master in the Second Judicial District Court.

Judge Lu has spoken and trained nationally and in Nevada on issues affecting children and families in the court system, including Specialty Courts. She had the privilege of serving on the Nevada Supreme Court's Specialty Court Funding Committee, the Nevada Children's Commission, and the Child Welfare Juvenile Law Advisory Committee and Family Violence and Domestic Relations Advisory Committee of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. She currently serves on the Access to Justice Commission, and the Budget Committee, Filing Office Committee, Interpreter Committee, and Legislative Committee of the Second Judicial District Court.

Judge Lu is pleased to have initiated the Assisted Outpatient Treatment Program (AOT) in Washoe County through a partnership with Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services and a generous grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The AOT program is designed to provide comprehensive community-based outpatient treatment to adults with persistent and serious mental illness with court oversight. The program has greatly decreased the utilization of mental health hospitalizations, medical hospital visits, and incarceration for the participants. The participants are able to lead safer, more stable, and healthier lives in the community.

Judge Lu also had the pleasure of inaugurating the first Safe Babies Court program in the State of Nevada involving partnerships with the Washoe County Human Services Agency and the Zero to Three organization. The program focuses on the well-being and developmental milestones of children, ages 0 to 3, in the foster care system to work with parents and their children in improving lifelong outcomes and minimizing the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences.