By Shelli Fedullo
This probably sounds counterintuitive, but it is a bit daunting to write an article about someone you deeply admire, respect, and yes, who you love. After all, it should be oh-so- simple to write about a dear friend who has earned their place on your list of Favorite People in the World, right?
The thing is, there is very much to share about Jennifer Segal Coatsworth to do justice to introducing this exceptional leader and all-around wonderful person to folks who don’t know her – it wasn’t easy to know how to begin. So, I will just begin at the very beginning, and with the help of “authoritative sources” who know her well, I welcome you to meet our 97th Chancellor. For those of you who are lucky enough to already know Jen, please read and smile along.
Jennifer Robyn Segal was born on March 13, 1978, to Linda, a public-school music teacher, and Jay, a psychotherapist. Her parents separated when Jen was four, explaining to her in a simple, gentle way that Jay is gay. Linda remained in the family home in Langhorne and Jay moved to nearby Bensalem. Jen split her time between both homes, with Linda and Jay working together to provide cohesive, cooperative parenting, and a happy childhood. Jen grew up in the security and comfort of knowing that her parents respected and cared about each other. She participated with Jay in activities organized by Gay Fathers of Greater Philadelphia, and sometimes went with him to meetings where she happily occupied herself reading books from The Baby-Sitters Club series.
Jen’s parents taught her that all people deserve kindness, acceptance, respect, and love, but experienced disappointment when she learned that these values were not uniformly shared. Although playdates were standard at her home with Linda, a few children were not allowed to visit her home with Jay, and the young Jen learned of some unkind comments. These hurtful experiences did not embitter Jen, but instead informed her, and are among the deep roots of her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Jen’s lifelong friend since pre-school, Michelle Cohen, describes Jen as always being kind and inclusive, ensuring that “no one ever feels left out.” Jay describes Jen as always being the first to reach out to welcome and include new classmates and others new to a group, so they do not feel isolated.
She has not changed. As Kathleen Kirkpatrick, among Jen’s bar association colleagues and friends, shares, “No matter who you are where you come from, Jen’s beaming glow will shine on you. She sees beyond your clothes and your skin; she sees your heart; she sees your inner self; she sees the beauty in you. And her heart connects with yours. She sees the best in every person, even if they don’t see the best in themselves.” As another bar association friend and colleague, Sheryl Axelrod, says about Jen, “Her closest friends are a beautiful, diverse group, and she is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion and making a positive difference,” and that she “leads by example.”
A Whirlwind of Activities
Jen grew up flourishing in a whirlwind of activities, frequently telling Linda with excitement “Mom, I volunteered for… Mom, I joined….” Jay describes his daughter as having a case of FOMO (fear of missing out). She attended Bensalem High School, in its gifted program, graduating in 1996. Among Jen’s many school activities she was (unsurprisingly) captain of the Spirit Squad, a member of the National Honor Society, sang in the school choir and was active in student government. She was also deeply involved in B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and served as vice-president for the region. Jen spent several school summers working as a lifeguard, first at Sesame Place then at Somerton Springs Swim Club where she also gave swim lessons to children. She entered the “work world” even earlier, with her first babysitting job at age 12.
She went on to the University of Maryland where she majored in Government and Politics, graduating summa cum laude with departmental honors in 2000. Jen’s college years included involvement in a pre-law fraternity, a semester in London, and meeting Walt Coatsworth in her junior/his senior year. They married in 2005, after Jen’s 2003 graduation from Temple University Beasley School of Law where she was president of the Jewish Law Students Association and was involved in the ABA Law Student Division and the Women’s Law Caucus. Jen and Walt, an educational sales account manager with a marketing MBA from Temple University Fox School of Business, live in Voorhees, N.J., with their sons, 13-year-old seventh grader Drew, and nine-year-old third grader Logan. Earlier this year, the family was joined by Jordyn, a Dalmatian puppy.
A partner at Margolis Edelstein, where she has spent 19 of her 20-year career, Jen has represented clients in an extensive range of complex civil litigation. Although far from a comprehensive list, she has in-depth experience in the defense of professionals, including real estate agents, home inspectors, accountants, and others as well as in matters involving general liability, premises liability, product liability, employment, construction, motor vehicle, fraud, breach of contract and statutory violation claims. Long-time Margolis Edelstein partner Bill Longo describes Jen as “one constant over these many years.” Bill trusts “her more than you can imagine, based on her work ethic, her devotion, loyalty, and her superior legal skills” and to say that he relies “upon Jen both professionally, and personally, is a huge understatement.”
A History of Leadership
Jen’s involvement in the Philadelphia Bar Association began early in her career. When Natalie Klyashtorny first met her, Jen was as “bubbly and enthusiastic as she is now.” Natalie, who chaired the Young Lawyers Division in 2005, encouraged Jen to become involved. She was excited when Jen ran for and was elected to the YLD Executive Committee, going on to serve as secretary then vice-chair. Although not a complete list, Jen’s history of leadership in our Association over the years has included co-chairing the Women in the Profession Committee, serving on the Board of Governors as Parliamentarian, as an elected member, as Assistant Secretary, Secretary, Vice Chancellor, and Chancellor-Elect. She has also served as a co-chair of the Bench-Bar & Annual Conference and of the Association’s Mentoring and Professional Development Initiative. Mentoring is deeply important to Jen, and helping others to succeed is second nature. Joyce Adelugba, among many younger lawyers who have benefited from Jen’s help and mentorship, describes her as “My colleague, my ally, my mentor and most of all my friend.” When Joyce was finding her bearings personally and professionally, Jen looked out for her. “She adopted me and nurtured me as a litigator. She became my big sister. She gave me an outlet for me. When I would second-guess myself, she was always there to encourage me and build me up. As an ally, Jen's genuineness and authenticity created space for me to be me in a way I was never able to imagine I could be in my professional career.”
Of course, being Jen, there is more. She has also been a leader in the Pennsylvania Bar Association serving as Zone One Governor, as chair of the Civil Litigation Section, and more. She has served as Chancellor of the Brandeis Law Society, on the executive committee of the Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel and has been actively involved in the Temple Law Alumni Association. There is still much, much more, but to include it all as well as Jen’s accomplishments and contributions in each role, would require that this article become first in a multi-part series.
She Does It All
When Ben Franklin came up with the aphorism “If you want something done, give it to a busy person,” he must have had a premonition about Jen. Her energy and ability to create time for everything are dazzling, verging on supernatural. Judge A. Michael Snyder has “long suspected that there must be a nuclear power plant inside Jen. She appears to work 36 hours a day and is never in anything other than a good mood.” Bar association colleague and friend Regina Foley describes Jen as the “Energizer Bunny.” Walt explains that by 5 a.m. Jen is already out of bed and at her computer working and describes her as “Hardworking and passionate and doesn’t do anything halfway.”
Jen is an adoring, proud mother, always there for her boys and deeply involved in their interests and activities. These include soccer, basketball, track and field, baseball, wrestling and more, with Jen there to cheer them and their teammates on, and help shake off disappointments.
The Coatsworths are a close family and have fun together in many special ways, including last year’s family “cook-off/bake-off” competition. As Walt modestly tells it, the cards were heavily stacked against him, in favor of Drew, an amazing baker and cook, Jen, another talent in the kitchen, and Logan who more than holds his own. The Coatsworth kitchen was busy when Drew baked about 1200 cookies for his Bar Mitzvah project to raise money to support the fight against pediatric cancer in partnership with Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. The family supported Drew at a very successful tailgate cookie sale held before a University of Maryland game. Walt, Drew, and Logan have made a few “cameo” appearances at Association events, including Bench-Bar. The boys are very proud of their mom, Drew describing her as “hard working and finishing whatever she starts,” and Logan because she is “really good at being an attorney.” Proud husband Walt admires Jen’s drive and accomplishments, her outgoing, warm, friendly nature and how she always “engages with people.” Jen shines (even more than usual) when she talks about her three wonderful guys and appreciates how fortunate she is to have a terrific and supportive husband, amazing kids, along with loving parents and extended family. Jen’s extended family includes her close circle of longtime friends. Michelle Cohen describes Jen as a loyal and dedicated friend, who is “generous, intentional, and present” in her relationships as well as in everything she does. Jen is a loving and devoted daughter, and very understandably, the source of tremendous pride to Linda and Jay.
A Passion for Service
Jen’s leadership is fueled by her passion for service, anchored by her thorough, nuanced understanding of issues that confront our profession and community, her talent as a consensus builder, her matchless work ethic, and infused with her warm, generous, kind nature. As Kathleen Kirkpatrick describes Jen, “She is a peacemaker and a problems solver. She can solve any problem that comes her way; she’s like a mom to all of us.” Regina Foley views Jen as a “servant leader” who is “is not afraid to get in the trenches and commands respect from all.” When Jen is involved, Regina knows that “whatever we are working on will be organized, thoughtful and be accomplished.” Regina describes Jen as “energetic, organized, compassionate and passionate, an effective advocate for her clients, for the bar association, for the pro bono community, for issues important to our legal community. She has a great capacity for listening and hearing what is being said, she is adept at managing many issues all at once and always professional and appropriate.”
Another longtime bar association friend and colleague, Kathleen Wilkinson describes Jen as “kind, supportive, and a great role model for women attorneys” and as a “true leader in all that she does.” Kathleen considers Jen one of her “bar ‘sisters’” who she “adores.” Judge Snyder who has “seen Jen's leadership skills in so many different areas” believes she “embodies everything that we look to see in a Chancellor.” He describes her “love for the Association” as “manifest in everything that she does.” He admires her ability to “think both creatively and practically, to solve problems” and shares that “Jen always reminds me of the biblical description of ‘A Woman of Valor’. She makes all of us richer by knowing her.”
A Deep Well of Wisdom
One of the handiest phrases in all of lawyering is to “incorporate by reference,” so as I exercise the prerogative of having the final words about Jen, I invoke it to adopt all the insightful, loving, and beautifully expressed comments which have been quoted or summarized. The folks you have heard from had much more to say, but again, to include it all would require a multi-part series.
I first met Jen about 16 years ago when we represented co-defendants in a property loss subrogation case, involving, of all things, McMuffins which caught fire at a baking plant, a fine example of the glamour of litigation. Jen was the associate on the case who impressed me and who I really liked, but it was our shared involvement in Association activities that brought us together – talk about a fabulous member benefit.
As I wrote about 2100 words ago, I love Jen, but although love and admiration often intersect, they are not the same thing. My admiration for Jen is grounded in everything others have already said about her, and I could certainly wrap up here, but I have a bit more. When we talk about wisdom, there is a tendency to think of it as being acquired maybe a few years before eligibility for a free SEPTA pass, but that’s not true by a longshot. Sure, longevity can be a component, but I think wisdom is mainly the function of character. As I see it, wisdom is the ability to interpret and integrate life experiences to derive a deeper understanding of yourself and others, and to translate that understanding to sound judgment, and in the case of a true leader, to use it to illuminate the path to service.
My dear friend Jen, who was four years old when I got my law license and is now decades away from the zone of free public transportation, is a person with a deep well of wisdom who I admire and respect beyond all measure. I could not be more grateful and proud to have her in my life, and as our Chancellor she will make each of us all even prouder to be Philadelphia Lawyers.
Rochelle M. Fedullo is a former Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, a member of The Philadelphia Lawyer editorial board and Of Counsel to The Weitz Firm, LLC.
