Flannery, Eleanor M.

Upon graduation from law school, I joined my husband in a neighborhood practice in Philadelphia, representing clients in real estate transactions, divorce cases, personal injury matters and wills and estates. I decided to concentrate on family law cases. At the time I did not realize that this decision would define my career. As my own caseload grew, I took on more and more family law cases as my primary focus, although I had expanded my practice to include mediation. Twelve years after graduation, I was offered a position at Temple University School of Law (now Temple University Beasley School of Law) to teach two clinical programs, one of which was custody mediation. (In clinical programs, law students in their last year of studies attend class and represent clients in cases related to the subject area that they are studying.) The chance to help aspiring lawyers to develop mediation skills was one that I could not pass up. Unfortunately, the position was only funded by a grant and funding was not renewed four years later.

I was next offered a position as Custody and Support Master in Philadelphia Family Court. As a Master I conducted hearings and conferences to help families resolve custody and support disputes. The position with the court afforded me a new perspective on family law cases. Rather than representing the interests of either party to a case or serving as a neutral mediator, I was a fact finder, making recommendations to the parties and the court regarding the ultimate decision in the case.

However, after 4 1/2 years with the court, I realized that my true passion rested in working with clients on an individual basis and I returned to private practice with renewed energy and enthusiasm. The experience gained at the law school and the court enables me to offer clients a broader perspective on issues in their cases. I welcome the opportunity to share this energy and experience with you.