Kaya R. Philapil

Kaya Philapil graduated from Arizona State University in 2019, majoring in Sports Journalism. Kaya was a member of the Arizona State University Women’s Swim Team and competed as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. After graduation, Kaya returned home to the Bay Area to attend law school, and she received her Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2023.

During her time at Santa Clara, Kaya served as the Vice-President of the Student Bar Association, where she advocated for the students’ interests, collaborated with the faculty, administration, alumni, and the broader community, while also organizing events for the student body. Kaya also served as the Co-Benefit Chair of the Women and Law Student Organization, where she organized the annual Spring Benefit to raise funds for a local non-profit, which provides mentorship and support for young women in the community. During her first year of law school, Kaya interned as a judicial clerk for the judges at the Family Justice Center. Through her clerkship, Kaya discovered her passion for family law and continued to clerk for the Honorable James Towery in her second year of law school.

Kaya went on to work for a local boutique family law firm as both a law clerk and an associate after passing the California Bar Exam in 2023, before joining Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri in 2025 as an associate attorney. During her time as an associate, Kaya has gained extensive experience representing clients in domestic violence, child custody, visitation, and support, spousal support, and contested dissolution actions. Kaya is a Bay Area native and in her free time, she loves to explore new spots in San Francisco, spend time with her family and friends, and watch Bay Area sports.