Ling-Cohan was born in Chinatown, Manhattan, the daughter of Chinese immigrants; her mother was a seamstress and her father was a laundryman.
Against all odds, she won a heavily contested primary to make history, with the assistance of the Chinese and progressive Downtown communities.
Brooklyn College has honored Judge Ling-Cohan with its Distinguished Alumna Award, in recognition of her service to New York city as well as her advocacy for immigrants and non-English speakers' rights.The Asian American Bar of New York and National Asian Pacific American Bar Association has similarly honored her.
Judge Ling-Cohan made national news when she handed down a ruling in Hernandez v. Robles, a case in which five gay and lesbian couples had sued New York, arguing that denying them marriage rights violated the state constitution.
See Judge Ling-Cohan's ruling in Hernandez v. Robles (PDF file) The decision was subsequently reversed by two appellate courts; however, same-sex marriage in the state of New York became legal on July 24, 2011, under the Marriage Equality Act, which was passed by the New York State Legislature on June 24, 2011 and signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo on the same day.