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"Justice is the constant and perpetual wish to render to every one his due."
~ Emperor Justinian
 
 
Upcoming Events
2023-2024 Membership Application and Membership Renewal
09-18-2023
September Board Meeting
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10-10-2023

Annual Meeting/Election, Scholarship Reception and Luncheon
honoring Dario C. Altieri, MD
President and Chief Executive Officer of The Wistar Institute
Director of the Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center
Distinguished Professor, Robert and Penny Fox Immunology, Microenvironment & Metastasis Program.

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10-16-2023
October Board Meeting
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11-20-2023
November Board Meeting
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12-12-2023
"SAVE THE DATE"
The Justinian Christmas Party
Arts Ballroom

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12-18-2023
December Board Meeting
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Justinian Society News
01-01-2022
Justinian Society Event Photos

To see all of the photos from our most recent events, see our Flickr account.

To see photos from the 2022 Justinian Christmas Party click here.

To see photos from the Beccaria Award held on December 13, 2022 given to Nathan J. Andrisani, Esq. for 2022 and Professor Louis M. Natali, Jr. for 2021 click here.

To see photos from the "In Person" Luncheon honoring Philadelphia Bar Chancellor Wesley R. Payne IV, Esq. held on February 17, 2022 click here.

To see photos from the 2021 "In Person" Luncheon honoring Phila Bar Assoc. Chancellor Lauren McKenna, Esquire and their immediate Past Chancellor Hon. A. Michael Snyder (Ret.) click here.

To see photos from the 2020 Beccaria Award held November 17, 2022 given to George Bochetto, Esq. click here.

06-17-2021
2021 First "In Person" Annual Meeting/Election Announcement
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06-29-2020
Virtual Annual Meeting, Election & Scholarship Announcement
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06-10-2020
News from The Justinian Foundation – 2020 Scholarship Recipient
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Members of the Month
June 2022 Justinian Member of the Month
This month, the Justinian Society proudly spotlights the accomplishments of The Honorable Daniel R. Sulman is a judge in the Family Division of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, where he served from July of 2016 to January of 2018 and from December of 2019 through the present, following appointments to the bench by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and election in 2021. The Judge is a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, a graduate of Philadelphia public schools and magna cum laude graduate of Temple University. He earned his law degree at Temple University Beasley School of Law. More...
May 2022 Justinian Member of the Month
This month, the Justinian Society proudly spotlights the accomplishments of The Honorable Craig Levin who is a judge of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. He assumed office on January 3, 2022. His current term ends January 5, 2032. Judge Levin was born and raised in Philadelphia. His life has been shaped by the communities where he grew up: First in West Oak Lane, then moving as a teenager to the Northeast. He attended Philadelphia Public Schools, graduating from Temple University with a B.S. in Finance and earned his Juris Doctorate from the Delaware School of Law at Widener University. He is a proud 'Philly guy' and loves all things 'Philly'. More...
March 2022 Justinian Member of the Month
This month, the Justinian Society proudly spotlights the accomplishments of The Honorable Ann M. Butchart who was elected to a ten-year term as a Trial Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia in 2005 and was retained for a second term in 2015. She has presided in Family Court, Criminal Court and Civil Court. More...
February 2022 Justinian Member of the Month
This month, the Justinian Society proudly spotlights the accomplishments of The Honorable Rosemarie Defino-Nastasi who presides in the Court of Common Pleas Criminal Trial Division in Philadelphia. She began her legal career working as an Assistant Defender for The Defender’s Association of Philadelphia. She then joined her family’s law firm in South Philadelphia working alongside her brothers, Michael and Vincent Defino. Judge Defino-Nastasi has presided in the Criminal Trial Division for over twenty years. More...
January 2022 Justinian Member of the Month
This month, the Justinian Society proudly spotlights the accomplishments of President Judge Jack Anthony Panella of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. He was elected to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania in November 2003 and sworn into office as an appellate judge on January 9, 2004 and retained in 2013. On January 7, 2019, he was elected President Judge. His true devotion and commitment is to assure that the Superior Court does it best to serve the people and the members of the Bar in ways that are efficient and productive, and balances judicial independence with accountability. More...
 
 
  February 2022 Justinian Member of the Month
02-01-2022

The Honorable Rosemarie Defino-Nastasi
February 2022 Justinian Member of the Month

The Honorable Rosemarie Defino-Nastasi presides in the Court of Common Pleas Criminal Trial Division in Philadelphia. She was elected to the bench in 2001 and retained in 2011 and 2021.

Judge Defino-Nastasi earned a bachelor's degree from Temple University in 1988. She graduated from Temple University, James E. Beasley School of Law in 1991.

Judge Defino-Nastasi began her legal career working as an Assistant Defender for The Defender's Association of Philadelphia. She then joined her family's law firm in South Philadelphia working alongside her brothers, Michael and Vincent Defino. Judge Defino- Nastasi has presided in the Criminal Trial Division for over twenty years.

Born and raised in South Philadelphia, Judge Defino-Nastasi is the daughter of the late Rose Defino and the late Honorable Anthony J. Defino. She and her father were the first father-daughter jurists to serve at the same time in Philadelphia.

Awards/Achievements

The Millay Achievement Award from Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti High School (2009)
Honored by the Adelphia Lions Club (2011)
Sons of Italy Person of the year (2012)
The Philadelphia Pinnacle Award (2013)
South Philadelphia Business Association Person of the Year (2019)

Citations in Recognition of Service from:
Philadelphia City Counsel (2013, 2019)
The Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (2019)
The House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of PA (2012, 2019)

Una Piccola Conversazione

1. How long have you been a member of the Justinian Society?

Over 20 years.

2. Why did you join the Justinian Society, and what do you hope to gain from membership?

I began attending events with my father, Judge Anthony DeFino, many, many years ago. As a young attorney, I was able to interact with seasoned attorneys and Judges in an informal setting outside of the courtroom, where they didn't seem larger than life. I loved listening to their war stories and learning from them. The Justinian Society provides a great support and networking experience for those in the legal profession. Being a judge can sometimes be an isolating experience, so it feels good to interact off the bench with attorneys.

3. What do you love or enjoy most about your job?

I love presiding over jury trials. The action is intense. I enjoy watching the adversarial process at work. Everyone is on their best game because the stakes are so high. I am impressed by the collective intelligence and commonsense of a jury. I enjoy talking to them after a verdict and am amazed at how, as non-lawyers, they seem to always get it right.

4. How would you define success?

By the number of people who sincerely smile when they see you because you have touched their life in some positive way.

5. Who or what inspires you?

Young people inspire me, especially law students and young attorneys. They are so full of energy and passion for the law, and so willing to learn. I enjoy mentoring them. I find that it reignites my passion for criminal law.

6. If you could choose anyone in history as a mentor, who would you choose and why?

There would have to be at least two- Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Agatha Christie. RBG fought for equality and gave a voice to those who weren't being heard. Her career teaches us that those of us who have been blessed with the ability to speak out for others have a responsibility to do so. Agatha Christie intrigues me. I love mysteries and I have enjoyed reading her novels since I was a teenager. I am amazed by the intricacy of her thinking and her character study. I would love to get inside her mind.

7. Name one valuable lesson you've learned in your life and that you would advise other members to follow?

Always be prepared, keep an open mind and rely on your common sense. Your common-sense is derived from all the knowledge you have gained throughout the years.

8. What's something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?

I grow my own vegetables. I love that I have a garden in the city. I once grew a zucchini that was three feet long and my brothers used it as a good luck charm for the Eagles. They called it the "Googootz".

9. What's the last book you read?

My Brilliant Friend

10. What's your favorite thing about Philadelphia, i.e., sports team, restaurant, museum, history, music etc.?

The food. I love to eat and to cook. My favorite restaurants are The Saloon and Aroma. My favorite places to shop for fresh ingredients to cook a meal are the Italian Market and the Reading Terminal Market.

 
 
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