Tianna Kalogerakis, Associate at Kang Haggerty

It takes time for a new attorney to gain the experience necessary to be competent on specific areas of law.  Once new attorneys gain that experience, often they are the least senior voice on a given topic and public speaking opportunities are afforded to more tenured attorneys with expertise.

A lack of expertise on a subject matter does not however, preclude newer attorneys from participating in public speaking events.  Namely, newer or junior attorneys need not be experts to competently moderate a panel discussion or publicly interview an expert on a given subject area, and these opportunities can raise the profile of a newer attorney.  These opportunities are of particular significance for minorities who are often underrepresented in the legal profession.  Seasoned attorneys who are mentors or sponsors to junior attorneys should seek to “place” their mentees in these moderator or interviewer roles to increase a group’s recognition of the new attorney as these roles often are accompanied by promotional materials or articles summarizing the event and can be featured on the junior associate’s profile.

I have twice had the opportunity to moderate panel discussions; once as a member of the Temple Law Alumni Women’s Leadership Initiative, and a second time at the 2019 Philly SHRM Symposium.  Both times, these opportunities were presented to me through my longtime sponsor and friend Sheryl Axelrod, Esquire who is a diversity expert.

The concept to “place” the individual in the opportunity is the first prong in Sheryl Axelrod’s copyrighted “PEP” tools to champion diversity.  PEP stands for Place, Echo (echoing the great ideas of minorities in group settings) and Promote (speaking highly of a woman or minority’s capabilities to others).  These tools are simple to use and can have an especially big impact in increasing visibility for minorities and women.

Placement as a moderator or an interviewer can also be a source of growth for a junior attorney and an accessible means of building their confidence and comfortability in performing in public spaces.  Throughout my term as president of the Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia, Inc. I have invited speakers to address the group and asked each to identify a person to interview them in a conversational manner in front of our membership.  Most of our featured speakers ask a lawyer of comparable experience to join them, but a Partner in Charge of Diversity at an Am Law 200 firm asked a junior associate to interview him.  This opportunity resulted in the junior associate being featured in the promotional materials for the meeting and allowed the attendees of the meeting become more familiar with her.

To place a junior attorney in a moderator role in a CLE does not come at a cost to a senior attorney, but can result in a big payoff in increasing the junior attorney’s visibility.

Tianna K. Kalogerakis is an associate at Kang Haggerty LLC. She concentrates her practice on commercial litigation and business disputes such as breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and business torts. In addition, she is currently President of The Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia, Inc. Tianna also serves on the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division as an appointed member.

This year, the American Bar Association Law Day Theme was “Separation of Powers: Framework for Freedom.” The ABA described this year’s theme as follows:

The U.S. Constitution sets out a system of government with distinct and independent branches—Congress, the Presidency, and a Supreme Court. It also defines legislative, executive, and judicial powers and outlines how they interact. These three separate branches share power, and each branch serves as a check on the power of the others. “Ambition must be made to counteract ambition,” James Madison explained in Federalist 51. Why? Madison believed that the Constitution’s principles of separation of powers and checks and balances preserve political liberty. They provide a framework for freedom. Yet, this framework is not self-executing. We the people must continually act to ensure that our constitutional democracy endures, preserving our liberties and advancing our rights. The Law Day 2018 theme enables us to reflect on the separation of powers as fundamental to our constitutional purpose and to consider how our governmental system is working for ourselves and our posterity.

The Philadelphia Bar Association extends the celebration of Law Day to encompass an entire week. The Young Lawyers Division coordinates programs throughout the city with various schools and communities. These programs include Lawyer for a Day, Fairy-tale Mock Trials, Legal Advice Live, and Lawyers in the Classroom.

On May 3, Law Week hosted its Lawyer for a Day program where attorneys guide groups of high school students around Family Court, City Hall, and the Justice Juanita Kidd Stout Center to observe proceedings. Students who participate in Lawyer for a Day get a chance to see the law in action, and in addition to the attorneys who volunteer to guide the students, the judges who graciously host the students and even attorneys appearing before the court often take time explain the significance of proceedings to the students. Kang Haggerty associate, Tianna Kalogerakis, YLD Appointed Member, co-chaired the program with Candice Kearney.  This is Ms. Kalogerakis’ third year serving as co-chair for the program.  This year, thirteen judges welcomed students from School Lane Charter School, Horace Furness High School, Murrell Dobbins Career and Technical Education High School, and Lankenau High School into their courtrooms.  Former City Solicitor Sozi Pedro Tulante addressed the group of approximately 60 students after brief remarks and introduction by Rochelle M. Fedullo, Chancellor-Elect of the Philadelphia Bar Association.

For most of the students who participate in Lawyer for a Day, this is their first time witnessing a legal proceeding first-hand and a chance to see how our system of government makes a real and lasting impact on the lives of the participants from the defendants, plaintiffs, and communities affected. When provided with context of the respective proceedings, these high school students are old enough to understand the significance, and in some cases, permanence of what they observe. Each year, after returning from a morning of observation the students fervently compare their observations and leave more informed about the judicial system.  The goal is to deepen the understanding of our participants and inspire civic-minded growth in an accessible way.

–Tianna Kalogerakis on Lawyer for a Day

On May 4, the YLD, with the help of many Philadelphia judges, hosted the Annual Fairy-tale Mock Trials at City Hall in Philadelphia. The mock trials allow 300 second and third graders to act as jurors and decide the ultimate fate of defendants Goldilocks and Big Bad Wolf. This event allows elementary students to gain a better understanding of the judicial system at a young age and peaks their interest in pursuing law later in life. Kang Haggerty Associate Kandis Kovalsky, YLD Liaison to the Federal Courts Committee, co-chaired this year’s mock trials with Melanie J. Foreman and Michaella Tassinari, chair-elect of the YLD. Opening remarks were given by Mayor Jim Kenney. Also present and participating in the event was Mary F. Platt, Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association.

Although I have been involved in this event for a number of years as a volunteer, this was my first year organizing it. This is by far my favorite event during Law Week. The students love it, and in turn, it feels good to make an impression on children of such a young age. It is important for children to understand that the legal system is critical to our country’s greatness and independence. An integral part of this legal system is the process of jury service and selection. Jurors perform a vital role in the United States system of justice and our integral to our democracy. I hope we were able to impress this upon the students to carry with them throughout their lives.

—Kandis Kovalsky on Fairy-tale Mock Trials