When Francesca Iacovangelo arrived in Philadelphia as a new civil attorney, she didn’t know a soul. Her entire family, many of whom were lawyers, were at home in Rochester, NY, and like many young lawyers, she found “talking shop” at networking events awkward at best. Then , while sitting in a Case Management Conference, her opposing counsel, noticing her very Italian name, invited her to become a member of The Justinian Society of Philadelphia. Not knowing what it was, she absolutely said yes.
At her first Justinian Society Christmas Party, she found a huge spread of food and something even better: people who saw networking as getting to know about her Italian heritage before asking about work. While talking about work had never come easily, talking about her large Italian family and her upbringing was effortless. “If you hate networking, then this is your group,” she says. Conversations were authentic, and relationships were built on character and connection came first, business second.
The Justinian Society of Philadelphia was founded with national chapters 90 years ago, when Italian Americans faced open discrimination in the legal profession. They weren’t seen as people who could run for office or rise to the bench. The Society came into being to change that, uniting and supporting one another as Italian American lawyers. Philadelphia’s chapter is the oldest Justinian Society in the United States.
Today, the Society still runs its cornerstone events, including its famous Christmas Party, and supports members running for office through cocktail hours and fundraisers. The Justinian Foundation, its charitable arm, offers scholarships to law students. Ten years ago, membership opened to anyone, and the organization continues to evolve, with a board that has grown noticeably younger.
Francesca just wrapped up a two-year term as Chancellor, the culmination of 15 years in leadership roles, including two three-year terms on the Board of Governors and two years as Treasurer, Secretary and Vice-Chancellor. In addition to her service to the Society, she was recently named a Super Lawyer for the fifth consecutive year, a recognition of her accomplishments and reputation within the legal community. “I came to Philadelphia knowing no one, and as I look out across a crowded Justinian event, I recognize just about every face in the room.”
Part of what makes the Society thrive, she believes, is that it offers something the modern practice of law has lost: face-to-face events. The Justinian Society brings back the old way of meeting people. Membership is growing and trending younger.
Francesca is looking forward to something she hasn’t been for fifteen years: just a member who can enjoy events with her closest colleagues. Down the road, she thinks she may lend her energy to the Foundation side so she can help give more scholarships to needy law students. “I was fortunate to come from a family that could afford law school. Not everyone is as lucky.”
