Vikram Patel, managing attorney of the Energy Unit at Community Legal Services, has been elected Vice Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association. He will serve as Vice Chancellor in 2026, Chancellor-Elect in 2027 and Chancellor in 2028. Patel’s current and past Philadelphia Bar Association positions include Chair of the Board of Governors and Chair of the Public Interest Section. You can view his full bio here.
The Association also passed amendments to its bylaws. The updates include creating of a Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion Division. The Division will be open to any member who wants to take part and compliment the Association’s existing diversity initiatives, working to increase diversity within the legal and judicial professions in Philadelphia, developing member programming, and promoting professional and business development. The amended bylaws also streamline and update Association policies and procedures to make the organization more nimble and better able to serve members as the legal profession grows and evolves. You can see a redline version of the updates here.
The Association’s Vice Chancellor and line officer elections were uncontested this year, while there were contested elections for the Board of Governors and the Young Lawyers Division Executive Committee. The election results were announced during the Association’s Annual Meeting on December 10.
In addition to Vice Chancellor, the following candidates will begin terms as line officers on Jan. 1, 2025:
- Secretary: Karima Yelverton, assistant district attorney, City of Philadelphia
- Assistant Secretary: Shahirah Brown, assistant general counsel for the School District of Philadelphia
- Treasurer: Erin Lamb, attorney, MGC
- Assistant Treasurer: Josh J.T. Byrne, shareholder, Marshall Dennehey
In addition, five new members were elected to the Association’s Board of Governors: Joyce Adelugba, associate, Ricci Tyrrell Johnson and Grey; Brenda Harkavy, senior trial attorney, Laffey Bucci D’Andrea Reich & Ryan; Candice Kearney, counsel, Tucker Law Group; Thu Lam, senior counsel, Holland & Knight, and Jesse Smith, assistant federal defender, Federal Community Defender Office for the Eastern District of PA. Each will serve a three-year term. Terms for all the candidates will begin on Jan. 1, 2026.
Seven new representatives were elected in a contested election to serve on the Executive Committee of the Association’s Young Lawyers Division. They were each serve three-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
The seven new members of the YLD Executive Committee are Julia Boland, senior management associate, Glenmede Trust; Brandon Millinghausen, associate, Reger Rizzo & Darnall; Damali Martin, attorney, Cozen O’Connor; Niayla-Dia Murray, associate, Gfeller Laurie; Isabella Pantano, associate, Villari, Lentz & Lynam; Beatrice Dolly Segal, associate, Clark Hill, and Mark A. Schork, associate, Feldman Shepherd Wohgelernter Tanner Weinstock Dodig.
