WHO WE ARE
Stefanos Roulakis
Stefanos N. Roulakis founded Scholasticus law to solve clients’ complex issues, and to help grow his clients’ businesses alongside his own. After more than a decade practicing at two of Washington, D.C.’s premier maritime firms, Stefanos began Scholasticus Law in order to service clients internationally. Scholasticus provides Stefanos a platform to bring his extensive knowledge and deep experience of D.C.’s inner workings to his clients’ doorsteps in maritime hubs worldwide.
Prior to practicing law, Stefanos honed abilities which continue to be useful in the international business arena that is shipping. He graduated as a member of Tulane University’s elite “Tulane 34,” an award bestowed to 34 students out of 1,500 graduates annually. He worked in international development in Africa, undertaking projects in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Rwanda. The U.S. Department of State awarded him a Fulbright Fellowship in Türkiye, and he also received funding from the Turkish Ministry of Education to study Turkish. During his time in Istanbul he worked at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the headquarters of the leader of the world’s 300 million Orthodox Christians. He first worked on correspondence in the English Office, and when his Turkish had reached proficiency he transferred to the press office.
Stefanos began practicing in Washington, D.C. after finishing his law degree and certification in maritime law. He has helped dozens of clients on multifaceted maritime issues. He has also devoted substantial time to pro bono endeavors, having assisted several refugees and victims of human trafficking achieve asylum in the U.S. He derives great satisfaction from solving complex issues for clients and helping them advance their business goals.
Outside of work, Stefanos enjoys spending time with his 3 sons and his wife, Christiana. The past several years have rekindled a love of music for Stefanos, and he is currently studying byzantine music and the lavta (a type of lute from Istanbul).
OUR APPROACH
Dedicated to the Success of Our Clients
At Scholasticus Law, our purpose is to provide unparalleled service to our clients and advance their business goals. Nothing gives us greater pleasure than winning for our clients. To achieve such goals, we take the following approach to client service:
PRICING
- We are open, upfront, and honest about our pricing
- Our fees are based on the value we add rather than the hours we bill
- We can customize our services to meet your needs and budget
- Fixed fee structures lead to happy clients and happy lawyers—we have designed several services which add tremendous value to clients at a reasonable cost
- Both Scholasticus and its clients are professionals in their industries, and carry their own oveheads. We do not charge for extras that large firms charge for such as secretarial support, transportation, per diem, long distance calls, and other overhead charges
Client service and support
- We support the most important business in the world: yours
- We pride ourselves on being accessible, responsive, and available at your doorstep
- Our ideal for client service is the small-town doctor: we know our clients by name, we know how they approach their business, and we know how we can both manage their risk and achieve optimal outcomes
OUR VALUES
Earning Your Trust With Integrity
Trust
We recognize the trust that our clients place in us, and we will always work diligently to earn that honor.
Zealous Advocacy
The most important business in the world belongs to our client. We will advocate with zeal to ensure the best possible result for our clients and their position.
Creativity
Advocating for clients is never just about the law. It is often a game of three dimensional chess, with the law, regulations, business goals, and customer relations demanding different goals. Reaching an optimal path requires creativity, and Scholasticus Law specialises in finding creative solutions to our clients’ problems to allow them to succeed in their business.
Success
We will always place our clients’ interests first. It is difficult to tell who derives more satisfaction from our success—us or our clients.
Industry
Our energy to advocate for our clients knows no bounds. We value work ethic, and we will always work tirelessly for our clients.
Charity
We donate 10% of our revenue to charity. Additionally, we have donated hundreds of hours of pro bono legal services, including wills for elderly people, obtaining asylum for refugees, and seeking justice for victims of human trafficking.
OUR INSPIRATION
The Life of St. John Scholasticus
A scholar, lawyer, musician, diplomat, rhetor, and uniter, St. John Scholastisticus embodies the ideals that Scholasticus Law strives to provide to its clients.
Born in Syria in the sixth century, St. John studied at the famed college of law in Antioch. He excelled in his studies, and used his legal training throughout his career. He compiled a collection of laws, combining ecclesiastical canon law with the collection of imperial rescripts (decisions of Roman emperors which had binding force of law) along with the newly promulgated civil laws which were being promulgated by the Emperor Justinian. St. John came to the capital of the Roman Empire, Constantinople, as an ecclesiastical diplomat (apocrisarius or legate), using both his legal and ecclesiastical training to represent the interests of the Patriarchate of Antioch at the imperial court. An active composer and musician, he composed two hymns—the cherubic hymn and a communion hymn—still used daily in the services of the Orthodox Church.
The Emperor Justinian appointed St. John Patriarch of Constantinople in 565, and he served for twelve years on the Ecumenical Throne. As Patriarch, St. John continued the collection of civil and ecclesiastical law. Notably, he used his diplomatic, legal, and ecclesiastical training to broker a compromise between the monophysite churches which had separated in 451. This makes him the last Patriarch to rule a united Church, an achievement Scholasticus Law believes only a lawyer (or miracle) could have achieved.
The life of St. John shows how he used the numerous gifts and training he received—legal, musical, ecclesiastical, and diplomatic—to advance his objectives. Scholasticus Law views this approach as emblematic and strives to live up to the example set by its patron.
