The Q&A: Alumna Kyla Pecchia is Legal Counsel for R.I. Attorney General

RIC has produced some of the most successful woman leaders in Rhode Island. Thirty-year-old Kyla Pecchia, Esq. is one of them. She earned her B.A. in political science and public administration in 2013, her J.D. at Roger Williams University School of Law in 2016 and is now policy and legislative counsel for R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronha, the state’s top prosecutor.

As the central legal agency of the state, the Office of the Attorney General is responsible for the prosecution of all felony criminal cases, misdemeanor cases brought by state law enforcement and misdemeanor appeals. The office also represents all state agencies, departments and commissions and initiates legal action to protect the interests of Rhode Islanders. Among her many duties, Pecchia, who joined Neronha’s office in 2021, is responsible for drafting new legislation and advocating for it in front of lawmakers at the State House.

She is an active member of the Rhode Island Bar Association, serving as co-chair of the Committee on Ethics and Professionalism and a member of the Nominating Committee; a member of the R.I. Women’s Bar Association; secretary of the Rhode Island College Foundation Board of Directors; and executive director of Millennial Rhode Island, a nonprofit networking group founded by RIC alumnus Travis Escobar ’13.

In this exclusive interview in honor of Women’s History Month, Pecchia takes us inside her world.

Who were the most important women in your life and why?

My mother and my maternal grandmother.

My mother earned three degrees at Rhode Island College – a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education and a master’s degree in social work – all while being a stay-at-home mom and eventually working full time. Today, she is a clinical social worker for the Cranston School Department.

My nana, who passed away in 2009, never graduated high school, so the accomplishments of my mother and myself were, to her, like her own accomplishments. She was very outspoken and opinionated. If my nana had something to say, she said it. I’ve heard women in the professional world say, “If there isn’t a seat at the table for you, then bring a chair.” My grandmother brought the chair, the table, everything.

In my household, it was never a question of ‘Can I do something?’ It was more, “You can, you will and you’ll be good at it.”

I’ve also had positive role models who were men. In fact, my greatest professional role models have been men, and I’m grateful for them, especially men who have been my boss or my superior, who put an emphasis on work/life balance.

You’ve managed to build a career in law, and a highly successful one at that, in a largely male-dominated field. What advice would you give other women about navigating this field?

Though the field of law is still largely dominated by men, especially in my new position with the Office of the Attorney General, where many of the lobbyists and legislators are men, I’m not a person to shy away from that kind of thing. My advice would be: Don’t let anything like that intimidate you. You earned your place to be here as much as they did.

For women, it’s easy to fall into the imposter syndrome, questioning ourselves: Am I good enough to be here? What do these people think of me? Did I say the right thing at that meeting? And women tend to judge themselves by their successes: I’m successful if I win this motion. I’m successful if I get this legislation passed. We focus less on the successes in our personal life. I try to remember that I’m more than my career.

What does a day in your life look like?

It really changes on a daily basis, which has a lot to do with the legislature being in session right now. Essentially, I’m the person in the office who is the point on all things legislative. That involves meeting with office staff to work on legislative proposals, drafting legislation and meeting with community advocates and community groups. I act as a liaison for the attorney general, building relationships with elected officials and other leaders in the community. For instance, tonight I have a fundraiser to go to – more relationship building. I’m also the registered lobbyist on behalf of our office. After I’ve drafted legislation, I then take it to the State House and advocate for our position in front of the legislature.

Did being on Student Community Government impact the work you do today? What did you take away from that experience? 

I ran for freshman representative for Student Community Government within a month of being on campus. I remember it was Student Activities day, with tables set out in the Quad. At one of the tables was the president of student government, Joshua Laguerre. He asked me if I was interested in joining. Both he and Travis Escobar took me under their wing. Over four years, I held various roles in SCG, and in my senior year I was president. As a whole, I loved my experience at Rhode Island College. Being at RIC taught me how to do what I’m doing now – build relationships. I enjoy bringing a lot of people to the table to solve a problem. And Travis and I remain very good friends. I am executive director of the organization he founded – Millennial Rhode Island. He’s a person in my life who will always say, “Kyla you need to take a step back and be proud of yourself. Stop and celebrate your successes.” 

Did you always know you wanted to be a lawyer?

I always knew I wanted to go to law school, even in high school. I didn’t have a full sense of what that would look like until I enrolled at Roger Williams Law School and started curating my own internships. For instance, I spent a semester in Washington D.C., where I interned with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse’s legal counsel. Having that kind of hands-on experience in government fortified my desire to work in government law, crafting legislation and policy.

In my second year at law school, I got the highest grade in a course on legislative drafting and advocacy and my professor invited me to be his apprentice. I lobbied with him and stayed on to work with him for a year and a half after I graduated and passed the bar. Then I transferred to a law firm in Warwick, where I began practicing civil litigation. Eventually, I made my way to a law firm in Providence, where I was exposed to administrative and municipal law. I’m happy I found my way back to government and legislation because that’s where I really want to be. Ultimately, I want to become a legislator myself. Rather than being the person in front of the judge who’s arguing about what the law means, I want to be the person who’s writing it.

Who are your present-day role models?

My mom. Ruth Bader Ginsberg. I was devastated when she passed away, like many women in this country. I also love Judge Judy. She’s like my nana – blunt and forthright. Sandra Day O’Connor is also a role model. All of these trailblazing women in the legal field made it easier for me to do what I do today.

What mantra do you live by?

My nana used to say, “What’s for you will not pass you.” That means, what is meant to be will happen; all you’ve got to do is keep doing your best.

Headline photo courtesy of Ezra Winters, Trailblaze Marketing. This interview was edited and condensed.