Julie Chovanes, a widely-respected trans attorney from the Philadelphia area, died suddenly on Jan. 7 of a heart attack. She was 64 years old and lived in Los Angeles, where she recently relocated.
Chovanes worked as an attorney for 37 years. She was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar on Nov. 20, 1987, after graduating from Villanova University School of Law.
Chovanes had her own law firm, Chovanes Law LLC from May 2003 to December 2022. The firm specialized in patent, science and business law.
In 2015, Chovanes founded Trans-Help, a nonprofit legal aid and educational organization based in Chestnut Hill. The organization helped many trans people get name changes, accurate birth certificates and access to health care.
As a pro bono attorney, Chovanes worked for several years on the Nizah Morris case. In January 2017, she told Philadelphia Magazine that city leaders “should be all over this case, instead of shamefully hiding documents in the death, while in City care, of Nizah Morris, a trans woman of color. The fact that this has gone on for 14 years only adds to the City’s shame and complicity in her death.”
In July 2018, Chovanes persuaded the Kenney Administration to release the Nizah Morris Police Internal Affairs file. Releasing the file’s documents was pivotal in moving the case forward, where it currently remains under review at the city’s Citizens Police Oversight Commission.
Conservative upbringing
Chovanes was born on Oct. 29, 1960, in Ardmore, Pa. She grew up in Bala Cynwyd and attended Lower Merion High School, then Villanova University and Villanova University School of Law. She obtained four degrees from Villanova: psychology, general science, biology and law.
Chovanes was raised in a conservative, religious Polish family yet believed strongly that trans individuals should be accepted within the Catholic Church. In August 2015, she was quoted in the Philadelphia Inquirer after an LGBTQ Catholic group was excluded from a church event.
“So they literally kicked trans people out of the church? It’s an amazing thing, especially if you’re trying to show families we are a part of the human family,” Chovanes said. “I still consider myself Catholic. But apparently, the church doesn’t.”
Marriage and family life
Chovanes was married for more than 30 years to a loving wife and they had four children. Friends said Chovanes deeply loved her family and was a wonderful parent.
Chovanes had an optimistic view of life.
“I’m incredibly lucky,” she told the Inquirer in May 2015. “I have a career, I have people who know me from elementary school who have accepted me. The majority of my [clients] have little or none of that.”
Her family’s obituary states Chovanes was known for “her faith in God, bravery, warmth, big hearty laugh, authenticity, and unwavering commitment to making the world a better place.”
A friend posted online: “You [Chovanes] raised great kids despite a life-changing event that usually would tear a family apart. You were an advocate for those in need. You went through life doing what you wanted and I loved following your exploits.”
Relocation to Los Angeles
In 2021, Chovanes moved to Los Angeles and worked as a stand-up comic and as an actress, though she continued to do some legal work, mainly in the areas of intellectual property and trans rights.
Justin F. Robinette, a colleague, was supportive of Chovanes’ move to Los Angeles.
“Los Angeles was a new chapter in her life,” Robinette said. “She wanted to give it a shot as a comedian and actress. I think she was pretty successful. She tried to humanize trans people in her work. And from what I saw, audiences loved her.”
Robinette mourned the loss of his colleague.
“Julie was sweet, kind, a pleasure to work with and someone with a great sense of humor,” he continued. “I admired her deep commitment to her advocacy work. If there was a trans case that needed attention, Julie would be there to take it on. People always knew she was there as their advocate.”
Asa Khalif, a community activist, met Chovanes through their work on the Morris case.
“She was a great warrior in the legal field, especially for trans people,” Khalif said. “I’m sorry she’s passed. We need her now more than ever. She was a fighter. She never went into something with a defeatist attitude. She was never pessimistic. She was always focused and determined to make things right for trans people.”
Chovanes is survived by her four children: Kathryn, Anna (spouse: Josh), Zander, and Caroline; her grandchildren, Ellie and Anna June; her former spouse Martha Chovanes; her pets Aragorn and Legolas; her three brothers, her sister-in-law and their partners and children; and a wide circle of loving friends and extended family.
A funeral service was held on Jan. 25 at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Ardmore, Pa. Chovanes was buried at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in honor of Julie Chovanes to Mazzoni Center or to The Trevor Project.