The Philadelphia Bar Association was founded to uphold the pillars of our democracy, including respect for the rule of law and advancing the cause of equal access to justice. Every person who interacts with our court system should be able to do so with qualified counsel to help them navigate the complexities of the law.  

When you live or work in the Philadelphia area there is a lot of background conversation about the two rivers that flow through the city – the Schuylkill and the Delaware. People in Center City use the term “from river to river” to refer to geography; in the suburbs people talk about “the other side of the river,” and the traffic reports often tell you whether or not the Delaware River bridges are backed up. While these two rivers surround the city and have shaped its culture, landscape and development, I realized that I didn’t know that much about either of them beyond their basic existence, so I went down a rabbit hole of discovery. 

In 2020, Congress passed the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) as part of the Anti-Money Laundering Act. The CTA mandates that certain corporations, LLCs, and similar entities report their beneficial owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). These businesses must file a Beneficial Ownership Information Report (BOIR) by January 1, 2025. 

Katayun Jaffari is my colleague, mentor, friend, and soul sister. I am honored to share her journey to becoming the 98th Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association. While Kathy and I have spent many hours together enjoying each other's company as friends and working with each other working as colleagues, I had the chance to sit down with Kathy and inquire about her inspirations, passions, vision, and call to action in service to the Philadelphia Bar Association. I am thrilled to share the transcript of our time together.