PHILADELPHIA, PA – The City of Brotherly Love is fast turning into the City of Greek-American Jurists. Last week, Harry Karapalides was sworn in for his third term as Pennsylvavia Magisterial District Judge of District Court 32-1-33 (Upper Darby Township and Millbourne Borough), Cosmos Philly reported.

And on January 21, Ourania “Rainy” Papademetriou will be sworn in as Judge of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Papademetriou’s father, Spyridon Papademetrios was a Greek Orthodox Priest for over half a century – most recently at the Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Reading, PA, until his death last spring.
Karapalides, who has a political science background and served as an attorney prior to becoming a judge, is also a prolific author. His books include: Dates of the American Revolution (1998), Revolt (2012), and A Promise of Remembrance (2012).

“I have dedicated my entire career as an attorney to promoting equal access of justice to the courts, helping to give a voice to those who need legal assistance and have nowhere else to turn. For many years I have worked closely with members of the legal profession, attorneys and judges alike, to promote and advance this important issue. I believe that my experience in public service and my extensive work in public interest give me the experience and a strong foundation to listen to and be fair to the litigants that come before me.

In 2010, Papademetriou was awarded the Philadelphia Bar Foundation Award. This award is presented to an attorney in the Philadelphia public service legal community whose career work advances the cause of equal access to justice for those struggling with discrimination, abuse and poverty. Her 25-year career in public service was recognized for her “unparalleled commitment to clients, possessing a deep understanding of her client’s suffering and an ability to access the public interest legal community.”

As she told TNH in an extensive interview last spring, “the judge in a case sets the expectations for civility, decorum and respect. These are the important qualities that our citizens look for in order to have confidence in our legal system. Those who know me and have worked with me, know I am understanding, patient, compassionate, even-tempered, and open-minded. I am able to deal with difficult and challenging situations with fairness, confidence and common sense. I have a strong sense of justice developed over her many years of work in our community on behalf of those in need.”

ent. I could not give them hope.”