A Phi Beta Kappa and Gasson Scholar Honors graduate of Boston College and Suffolk University Law School, Konstantina Vagenas is President and Co-founder of the Judicial Branch Education Academy. She has over twenty-five years of experience as an attorney, starting as a prosecutor in the courts of Essex County, Massachusetts. Her legal career has been focused in the public interest arena and specifically on judicial education and issues affecting the judicial branch and access to justice issues, ranging from judicial independence and the public’s perception of the courts to the underfunding of our state courts. Konstantina has previously served as Director of the ABA Task Force on Preservation of the Justice System, which was co-chaired by Former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson and acclaimed trial lawyer David Boies. Subsequently, she served as Director of the Conference of Chief Justices National Task Force on Fines, Fees, and Bail Practices and for the Community Engagement in the State Courts Initiative.
In her role as Director and Chief Counsel of Access to Justice Initiatives at the National Center for State Courts, Ms. Vagenas oversaw national access to justice initiatives, the NCSC Language Access Services Division as well as the Center for Judicial Ethics. She also served as lead staff to the National Center for State Courts Racial Justice Blueprint Initiative Communications and Implementation Working Group. Konstantina also worked at the National Judicial College as Director of Strategic Initiatives and then Director of the Solutions and Innovation Division. Ms. Vagenas was responsible for a diverse portfolio, including working on Advancement and myriad curricular projects in the area of access to justice issues. During her career, she also served as a Political Section intern for the State Department at the American Embassy in Athens, Greece, and later was chosen to serve as a Fellow at Athens College.
Ms. Vagenas co-founded the Judicial Branch Education Academy in 2025. She provides curricular and instructional vision for the organization as it strives to deliver high-quality, focused, and affordable education for judges at all court levels, court professionals, and attorneys. She curates and ensures quality assurance of faculty and educational offerings including the International Judicial Exchange Program. In addition, she is responsible for managing international and national course budgets and handles the organization’s external relations. She continues to dedicate her to career to strengthening professional competence, reinvigorating the joy of learning, and renewing public trust and confidence in the justice system.