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When Leah Cardoni Kane ’96 left the advertising world, she went to court.
Nothing was wrong. She simply decided to open an office of the business her father started — Exhibit A.
“Exhibit A provides trial technology to attorneys, primarily litigators,” explains Kane, an economics and business graduate. “Essentially what this means is, when lawyers are prepping to go into the courtroom to present their cases in front of the jury, we help them take the evidence they have — the documents and photographs — scan it, and put together a presentation for their opening statements, closings, or expert-witness testimony.”
Exhibit A also assists with settlement conferences and provides trial support and training.
In the case of a building destroyed by fire, no architectural plans were available for the 1940s structure. Exhibit A created a 3D model for the plaintiff’s fire experts using only old photographs and a napkin sketch by the maintenance staff.
Exhibit A aided a subcontractor who had installed an expansion joint system in the gap of a concrete deck at a large condominium development. Both the plaintiff and main defendant were citing the subcontractor’s work as the main source of water infiltration. Exhibit A created animation for the subcontractors’ expert to use in describing various components of the expansion joint system and installation process. The verdict vindicated the subcontractor.
In a personal injury case, Exhibit A created a treatment timeline with photographs and illustrations to demonstrate the extent of injuries and lengthy recovery process for the plaintiff, who had been injured in an automobile accident. The timeline was incorporated into a presentation that resulted in a significant settlement for the plaintiff.
Kane’s office is in Metuchen, N.J. Her father, Joseph Cardoni, works in Clarks Summit, Pa., and her brother, J.P. Cardoni, operates another Exhibit A location in Philadelphia.
“I used my alumni connections from Lafayette when first starting out,” Kane says. “After requesting [from the Office of Career Services] a list of alums that practice law in New Jersey, I contacted Wynne Whitman ’86 and she put me in contact with the head of the litigation department at her firm. I did a presentation of Exhibit A’s capabilities at a department meeting and have worked on several cases for the firm since that time.”
Before joining the family business, Kane worked for several different advertising agencies in Manhattan.
“I not only had a job at graduation, but started my job a week after graduation,” she explains. “It was a really amazing experience. One week you’re walking up to receive your diploma, and the next week you’re walking through Manhattan with your briefcase that you received as a graduation present to start your career.”
For Kane, the move to Exhibit A ended a seven-year career in the advertising industry.
“In 2003, I decided to leave the advertising world and try my hand at this,” she notes. “Over the years, I had become increasingly involved with my dad. I thought I would give it a shot here in New Jersey.”
Kane enjoys having a flexible schedule with Exhibit A as she juggles work commitments and raising her 5-month-old son.
“With running your own business, there are logistical and administrative challenges,” she says. “If the printer runs out of ink, I’ve got to go get more. All in all, I love it, and I doubt that I could go back to an office environment.”
Kane found that her time at Lafayette prepared her for her experiences in the corporate world and life in the big city. She cites the semester she spent abroad in Barcelona, Spain, noting how challenging it was to communicate there.
“I think my time at Lafayette was an excellent transition from a small-town high school environment to the next stage of my life,” says Kane, who was a member of Delta Gamma and a writing associate in college. “It was a good stepping stone. Lafayette’s not too small, but not too large. I knew a lot of my professors personally. I got a lot of great attention and learned a great deal while I was there.”