Judge Ortiz was born in Brooklyn, New York. She was raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn by a single mother. She graduated with honors from Cathedral High School, Manhattan in 1990. She then went on to attend Fordham University and graduated magna cum laude in May 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Thereafter, she attended New York Law School and obtained her Juris Doctorate in May 1997. She was admitted to practice law in the states of New York and New Jersey, since January 1998. She was a staff attorney at Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A, East New York office, Housing Unit from August 1997 until June 1999. She then transitioned to the Unified Court System of New York State as a pro se and trial part court attorney assigned to the housing court from July 1999 until her February 2017 appointment as a New York City, Housing Court Judge.