degree, magna cum laude, in 1981 from Harvard College and her Juris Doctor in 1984 from Columbia Law School.

[3] Torres spent the early portion of her legal career as a real estate associate at three New York City law firms (Kaye Scholer from 1984 to 1985, Coudert Brothers from 1985 to 1987, and Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler from 1988 to 1992).

[4][5][6] On November 14, 2012, President Barack Obama nominated Torres to serve as a United States district judge for the United States District Court in the Southern District of New York, to the seat vacated by Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald, who assumed senior status on March 21, 2012.

[4] On January 2, 2013, Torres's nomination was returned to the President, due to the sine die adjournment of the Senate.

Her nomination was reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 14, 2013, by voice vote.