Board Members
Board Members
The AICJQ’s Board is composed of a diverse, experienced group of jurists who oversee the AICJQ’s needs and concerns. Our board members volunteer their time and are united by their passion for servicing the Italian-Canadian legal community.
For more information on how to become a board member or volunteer at the AICJQ, we invite you to email us at: ajicq2004@gmail.com
Mtre. Philippe Messina
President
Bachelor of Arts in 1974, Concordia University, Loyola Campus, with a major concentration in Political Science; Bachelor of Law in 1977, McGill University; Member of Barreau du Québec 1978; Worked in private practice from 1978 until 1994, when he accepted the position of Director of Judicial Affaires at the City of Saint-Leonard. During this tenor at the City of Saint-Leonard, he occupied the positions of Prosecutor at the Municipal Court of Saint-Leonard, Head of the legal department, City Clerk and Director of Human Resources. In 2000, he was appointed to the "Comité de transition" formed by the Québec government with a mandate to make recommendations to the Minister of Municipal Affaires, on the new structure of the Municipal courts overseeing the merger of the (27) twenty-seven municipal courts on the Island of Montreal into (1) one centralized Municipal Court. With the official merger of municipalities of the island of Montreal in 2001, he accepted a position of Assistant Chief Prosecutor of the newly formed Municipal Court of Ville de Montréal. Mtre Messina is vice president, since 2022 of the National Congress of Italian Canadians. He has been a member of AICJQ since 2005 and its president since 2010.
Mtre. Anna Colarusso
Vice President
Mtre. Anna Colarusso was called to the Barreau du Québec in 1984 and is an associate at Kaperonis & Colarusso. Mtre Colarusso practices in Civil Law, Family law also offering mediation services, Estate law, national and international commerical transactions. She also offers International law services pertaining to Italian law and more specifically, estate law, property law and real estate transactions. You may recognize Mtre. Anna Colarusso who hosted for several years a television show on the Italian community network known as the Angolo Legale. She is a governor of the Fondation Communautaire Canadienne Italienne since 2003, President of the Italian Cultural Center of Quebec, Mtre Anna Colarusso, currently the President of Com.It.Es Montréal and board member since 2003 of the AICJQ and is its vice-president since 2008.
Angel Iacono
Vice President
Member of Parliament for Alfred-Pellan since October 2015, Angelo Iacono is a lawyer by trade, a politician by vocation and a humanist by conviction. He is currently one(1) of the Association's vice-president. After studying political science at McGill University, Angelo went on to study civil law at UQAM and obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Ottawa. His openness to the world led him in search of new horizons, completing a certificate from the European Union and its Institutions, as well as a certificate in European Community Law from the Faculty of Law of Lyon, in France. Prior to entering the political arena, Angelo worked briefly in private practice but had most of his career in public service, at Via Rail, Industry Canada, HRSDC, and the Office of the Privacy Commission. Born in Montreal from Italian parents, Angelo is proud of his Italian roots, strong on keeping up with traditions and keen on giving back to the community.
Mtre. Mario Spina
Founder and Treasurer
Mtre. Mario Spina (spina inter rosas est) has come a long, a very long way. He is the oldest practicing lawyer in the Italian community. Age has never been an obstacle for him.
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Mtre. Antonio Discepola
Founder & retired Judge
Bachelor of Arts 1974 McGill Joint Honors Economics and Political Science; Réserve Forces Armées Canadiennes 1972-1974; Bachelor of Civil Law 1977 McGill University; Barreau du Québec 1978; Bissonnet Discepola Mercadante, civil & commercial litigation 1981 to 1991; Occupational Injury Appeal Board, Administrative Judge 1991; Montreal Municipale Court Judge. Civil, penal & criminal jurisdiction. 1992 to 2016. Training of juges; Founding and Board member of AICJQ; Knighted Ordre du Mérite from the Italian Republic in 1999; Distinctive Honour for social implications in 2005, by the Casa-D’Italia; Secretary for the Casa-d’Italia - Maison d'Italie Board 2018 to 2021.
Mtre. Teresa Morello, retired lawyer
For more than twenty two (22) years Mtre. Teresa Morello has been involved in her community, and in the legal community. For example Teresa Morello had from 2010 to 2012, volunteered at SAGE and at the Montreal Chapter of DFS from 2012 to 2016.
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Mtre. Jessica Iacono
Secretary
Mtre Jessica Iacono has been volunteering with the AICJQ since February 2021 by assisting with the Association's social media presence, the legal clinic and in organizing various events and conferences. Her dedication led to her appointment to the Board of Directors in March 2024, where she continues to make a positive and significant impact on our legal community. During her legal studies at the University of Ottawa, Mtre Iacono was also involved in student life as vice-president of the Association des Étudiant.es en Droit de l'Université d'Ottawa (“AED”) and has been a volunteer with the Jeune Barreau de Montréal since becoming a member of the Quebec Bar in 2023. Mtre Iacono actively contributes to her community as she recognizes the importance of giving back to those who encouraged you to achieve goals. She is also the Reginal Figure Skating Coach's representative for Bourassa Region of Montreal and looks forward to continuing the growth of our Association. She currently works at Jursieo Avocats Inc., specializing in construction, real estate and disciplinary law.
