Lawyer gives Back

Jacqueline Harounian, Esq., a partner with The Law Firm of Wisselman, Harounian & Associates, P.C., was recently recognized for her community involvement, which is a major part of her life along with practicing law and her family.
While a student at Hofstra School of Law in 1993, Harounian began working for Jerome A. Wisselman’s firm, which he started in 1976. It specializes in matrimonial and family law.
Harounian became a partner in July of 2006. When she first started, she already had her first child. She said that Wisselman was very supportive of her and was a mentor to her.
Harounian said that she was drawn to family law because it was relatable to her and said that being in the field feels like second nature to her.
“It’s a very challenging area of law, but very gratifying to help people,” she said.
Aside from her work with the law firm, Harounian is also a member of local bar associations, president of the Sephardic Heritage Alliance, the legislative committee of the Long Island Women’s Agenda (LIWA), the Great Neck organization Shai and Yashar, a chapter of Hadassah for women judges and lawyers. She mentors high school, college and law school students so that she can help give “confidence to young women to go forward to professional careers.”
Recently, Harounian was honored by the Long Island Press as part of Fortune 52 “Long Island Women Making a Difference.”
“I think it’s great. Jackie’s really involved tremendously,” Wisselman said. “It’s great to see her getting recognition for it. She really is involved with a lot of things at one time. She does all of them well.”
Last year, because of her work through LIWA, she was also honored with a “Women Making a Difference” award by Soroptomist International Society of Nassau County, which assists women and girls in the community.
“I really wanted to get involved in an organization made up of women that are proactive in dealing with women’s issues,” Harounian said of her work with LIWA. “I really wanted to learn how I could help more with women’s issues.”
Also, Harounian speaks on topics such as domestic violence, parental liability issues and forensic custody examinations.
Harounian said that the support and encouragement she received from others throughout her life has motivated her to give back to others.
“I try to give back the same way to other young people,” she said. “I think it’s very important for people to…have that support and I’ve been fortunate to have that.”
Community involvement is also an important part of the law firm’s philosophy. About seven years ago, they began holding seminars to further educate people about matrimonial and family law. During the various seminars, some of the professionals the firm is serving are teachers, police officers, and mental health professionals. In doing the seminars, particularly with the mental health professionals, Harounian said that it is also very educational for the firm.
“These seminars have been very, very successful,” Harounian said.
Another area that the firm has done is grandparents’ rights, including lobbying for legal reform in Albany and writing articles on the matter.
Harounian said that they always try to go beyond just practicing law in order to better serve their clients, who are mostly in Suffolk County, Nassau County and Queens.
A resident of Great Neck, Harounian has four children, ages 3, 8, 12 and 16.
“I feel very blessed in my personal life and I feel like I really have been lucky and fortunate,” Harounian said.
The Law Firm of Wisselman, Harounian & Associates, P.C. is located at 1010 Northern Boulevard, Suite 300 in Great Neck. To keep posted about their upcoming seminars, visit www.lawjaw.com.