Honoring Stephanie Germani’s Impact on the Next Generation

At a recent awards ceremony recognizing leaders in the legal community, Stephanie Germani, Esq. (co-editor of For The Record) was honored for her dedication to mentorship, advocacy, and service. Although she was unable to attend in person, law student Bobbie Medina delivered heartfelt remarks on her behalf that captured the profound impact Stephanie has had on aspiring attorneys throughout San Diego’s legal community.

We are honored to share Bobbie’s remarks below:

Good afternoon. I’m not Stephanie Germani — though after years of her mentorship, I’m starting to sound like her. My name is Bobbie Medina, a rising 3L at Thomas Jefferson School of Law.

I met Attorney Germani and knew immediately I wanted to work with her. So I applied to be her intern, even though she wasn’t advertising for one. And she said yes. Because that’s who Attorney Germani is: she sees potential in people and goes out of her way to help them succeed.

She took me on field trips to court and arranged a personal tour of the law library. She brought me to her Lopardo Inn of Court meetings and gave me real opportunities with SDCBA’s For The Record newsletter, opportunities that led to me winning an award for those pieces and meeting people throughout the legal community who continue to mentor me today.

Attorney Germani’s mentorship didn’t stop with me. She mentors law students from all the local law schools, not just the two she graduated from. And she helps students navigate their legal careers, regardless of whether they fit the traditional mold.

Attorney Germani knows what it’s like to not fit the traditional mold, she started law school at age 40, working full-time while attending classes part-time at night. She knew some students were in that same position and could only intern on weekends, so she created a weekend internship program. That means she works weekends, too. (In fact, one of those weekend interns, Ricky Horvath, is here with us today.) 

Attorney Germani couldn’t be here today. She’s traveling to Yosemite for the California Lawyers Association’s Real Property Law Retreat where she’ll be presenting on Holdover Tenants. Now, Attorney Germani hates to travel, she’d much rather be here at lunch with all of you, so the fact that she’s making the trip tells you how important landlord-tenant law is to her.

In her practice, Attorney Germani advocates tirelessly for underrepresented litigants in landlord-tenant matters. As she said when accepting the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego’s Rising Star award: “whether it’s a mansion in La Jolla or a studio over a laundromat in La Mesa,” she’s going to fight for that tenant’s rights. She’s inspired by clients who are told the system is not for them, and she refuses to accept that as inevitable. And honestly? That’s exactly why I wanted to work with her, because those are the people I want to fight for, too.

When you ask Attorney Germani why she serves, she’ll tell you: “To help others move through a system that is not neutral, and to push the profession to stop pretending it is.” She pays attention to who consistently loses in our courts and aims her time and skills there. And she’s teaching the next generation of lawyers, people like me, to do the same.

I’m honored to stand here today as someone who has benefited from Attorney Germani’s generosity. Since my summer with her, I’ve served as Dean of Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity, earned Distinguished Honor Roll recognition, clerked at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and just started as a Legal Processing Analyst at San Diego County Superior Court. Attorney Germani’s mentorship continues to guide me, and I know I’m just one of many whose lives she’s touched.

On behalf of Attorney Germani, I accept this well-deserved recognition with deep gratitude. Thank you.