Colella, Richard J.

Lana Panagoulia Law, PLLC, is a full-service family law firm focusing on all family-related matters, including both simple and high-asset divorce, divorce with no minor children, child-centered and kid-friendly divorce, prenuptial and antenuptial agreements, custody, mediation through alternative dispute resolution, parenting time, paternity, grandparent rights, same gender law, mediation, collaborative law, property division, PPOs, and general domestic relations law.

Lana received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in Communication from the University of Michigan. Prior to her legal and teaching careers, Lana worked in the television and print media. 

Lana Panagoulia has extensive professional and personal experience in the areas of divorce, custody and children’s education. Before becoming a lawyer, Lana obtained a Master of Arts in Teaching and earned a provisional teaching certificate with endorsements in early childhood education and French teaching. Because of her outstanding academic achievement, Lana qualified for paid student substitute teaching through Eastern Michigan University, and was named on the National Dean's List and Golden Key.

Lana Panagoulia was an outstanding and outspoken law student. She received her law degree cum laude, as well as numerous awards and scholarships, including the Ford Motor Company Leadership Award, the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan Foundation Award, the Vice President's Scholarship, invitation and membership in Alpha Sigma Nu, The American Inns of Court, and the Order of Barristers. 

Lana was a Junior Member and Associate Editor of Law Review, and served on the Moot Court Board. Towards the end of her first year of law school Lana was elected by her peers the Executive Board Vice President of the Student Bar Association. It is rumored that her victory created the first all-women governing law school board in the United States.

As Vice President, she organized law student involvement for the inaugural “Voice of Justice” public interest fellowship auction. The following year, Lana was appointed by her law school peers as the Student Chair of the renamed “Voice for Justice” public interest auction, and helped to raise thousands of dollars for students so they could receive prestigious fellowships and scholarships while working for the disadvantaged in the area of public interest.

Lana competed as a member of the national moot court trial court team, as well as in numerous appellate competitions in the areas of professional responsibility, first amendment, and criminal law. While still in law school, Lana clerked for Secrest Wardle and interned for the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office in the child abuse and neglect division, and for Justice Marilyn J. Kelly of the Michigan Supreme Court.

Upon graduating from law school, Lana became an Associate at Secrest Wardle and then briefly worked as a contract attorney for Sidley Austin before returning to purse her interest in family law and children's rights.

While interning in the Washtenaw Circuit Court, Family Division, Lana worked for Judges Darlene A. O’Brien, Nancy C. Wheeler (Francis) and briefly for Judge Donald E. Shelton.

Lana returned to her teaching alma mater at Wayne State University School of Education and served under her teaching mentor, Dr. Janice Hale, as the Assistant Founding Director, and Chief Operating Officer of the Institute for the Study of the African American Child (ISAAC). Lana was also named an Associate Fellow of ISAAC.

Lana then went on to work in two Ann Arbor law firms before founding Lana Panagoulia Law, PLLC

Lana Panagoulia is active in the legal community. She served as Co-Chair of the Family Law Section of the Washtenaw County Bar Association for three years, and during this time she organized seminars for family law attorneys on the subjects of bankruptcy and divorce in addition to same gender law issues in Michigan.

Lana currently serves as President of the Michigan Hellenic Bar Association, Treasurer of the Washtenaw Association for Justice and Barrister of the Washtenaw County Chapter of the American Inns of Court. Lana was on the Young Lawyers Advisory Board for the Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE). She is Past Secretary of the Michigan Hellenic Bar Association and Past Secretary of the Washtenaw Association for Justice. Lana is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the Michigan and Washtenaw Association of Justice, the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, the Washtenaw County Bar Association, and she is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and all state courts in Michigan.