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# 79 MAY 16 , 2016
# 79 MAY 16 , 2016
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THE INTERVIEW:
Germana Giordano
Law and order for the Italians in New York:
meet Germana Giordano
By Umberto Mucci
Movies and TV series on
trials and legal issues have
long helped Italians learn
about the criminal justice
system in the United States.
New York has only one
Italian criminal defense
lawyer. She is a brilliant,
young woman from Bari
who helps Italian and
American citizens who are
struggling with the intricacies of American law. Her
name is Germana Giordano and we thank her
for her time as well as the
support she gives our fellow countrymen.
Germana, was it easy
for you to leave Bari and
establish yourself as a criminal defense lawyer in
New York?
I left Bari in January 1998. hard as leaving my family. odbye to my parents at
Leaving my city was not as It is always hard to say go- the airport. My parents are
amazing. They never saw
my decisions as a detachment from something, but
rather as a dream coming
true.
To me, New York is home. I
have a husband and amazing friends that make me
feel at home even across
the ocean. Since I arrived
in the Big Apple, I have
constantly shared my
experiences with my parents, my sister, and – for
the last six months – my
nephew Giorgio.
Becoming a criminal defense lawyer has been really tough and fascinating
at the same time. On one
hand, it was tough because my professional life as a
“foreigner” depended on
work visas. I didn’t have
many choices. I was already lucky to be sponsored
by American law firms. On
the other hand, it was fascinating. After meeting
my husband and obtaining first the green card,
and then the citizenship
through our marriage, I
realized that the American
Dream was possible.
As a recently married woman, I followed my heart fully supported by my
husband and family. I left
my well-paid, stable job
to follow my American
dream of becoming a criminal defense lawyer in
New York. My current colleague, criminal defense
attorney, Don Savatta, offered me the opportunity
to collaborate with him on
criminal cases. He hosted
me at his firm located at
250 Park Avenue – my current office. He mentored
me. I will be always grateful to him.
I subsequently gained a
lot of experience working
for a not-for-profit organization in Harlem, where I represented indigent
clients. At some point of
my career, the Italian Consulate General in New York
noticed me. After many
successful collaborations
with the former Deputy
Consul Lucia Pasqualini
and her brilliant projects,
I quickly became – quoting the Editor in Chief of
La Stampa – “The Attorney
Who Saves Italians in New
York!”
Italians are well-esteemed
in the US. As a young Italian professional in the
US, have you been appreciated for your work?
Yes I have, both for my preparation and professionalism. I believe I owe my
success as a criminal defense lawyer to my studies
in Italy. The “classical” approach given by the Italian
universities allowed me to
practice law in a different
system, in a different language, with a strong problem-solving approach.
42 | WE THE ITALIANS
WE THE ITALIANS | 43
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www.wetheitalians.com