A short time ago, Leah Wise was unsure of her career path, but today, she is a trailblazer in the traditionally male-dominated field of personal injury law. She is also paving the way for Latina entrepreneurs in fields as diverse as fashion, nonprofit work, and real estate investment.
“Building a successful business from the foundation up isn’t easy,” says Wise, “You must follow your passion, stay the course, and believe in yourself despite everything that stands in your way.”
Following her passion to become a personal injury lawyer
Even after earning a BS in Political Communication with a minor in women’s and genders studies from the University of Texas at Austin, Wise was unsure of the career path to ignite her passion. However, when she began to explore the opportunities around her, she understood that the passions she sought were already inside of her.
When a state senator offered Wise a job, she found herself admiring legislators engaged in fighting for their constituents on a daily basis. She dedicated her life to becoming an advocate and applied to law schools with the intention of representing her community.
As a personal injury lawyer fresh out of law school, Wise launched her own legal firm despite having almost nothing in the bank and more than $60,000 in law school debt. She struggled to break into the industry while all the lawyers around her shelled out thousands of dollars for TV and billboard ads.
“I was deeply afraid,” admits Wise. “That was one of the lowest points in my life. I knew that I was following my passion, but every month, I struggled to pay my car payment and rent.”
Wise turned to social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to get her name out there. For attorneys in 2017, social media was largely uncharted ground, but Wise set out into the new territory. As she persisted in telling followers what to do in the aftermath of a vehicle accident or work-related injury, her audience began to grow.
Advising female entrepreneurs to believe in themselves
Wise remembers feeling shy and intimidated throughout most of her adolescence and young adulthood. However, becoming a prominent injury lawyer and female entrepreneur required her to overcome the all-too-common imposter syndrome and grow to believe in herself.
“As a Latina raised in the Rio Grande Valley, I came to my higher education and career with an inferiority complex,” Wise acknowledges. “The university students around me were all graduates from expensive private schools. They traveled the world, and their parents were entrepreneurs, doctors, and lawyers. I felt completely out of my league, but knew I had to make a place for myself.”
During those daunting first days as a plaintiff’s attorney, Wise searched desperately for a way to break in. As she drove along the highway, all the billboards she passed portrayed middle-aged male lawyers — not one advertised a woman or Latina attorney.
At the Cameron County courtroom, Wise’s worst fears were realized when a bailiff tried to remove her, stating, “Ma’am, this area is for lawyers only.” Wise found her voice that day and informed the bailiff, “I am a lawyer,” and by 2020, no one questioned her. That was the year her law firm achieved the largest settlement in Texas that year.
“I now realize that I was a valley kid with the gift of a rich Latino culture,” Wise adds. “My experience finally taught me that I could contribute as much, if not more, than students from prestigious private schools who studied abroad. No one else can compete with you in terms of what you have to give. If you are secure in yourself, you’ll invite great things into your life. When you value yourself, other people will value you as well. The billboards along the highway today feature my likeness. That is because I refuse to give in to doubt or criticism, keep faith in myself, and keep moving forward.”
Charting new territory as a female entrepreneur and personal injury lawyer
Already wildly successful in the field of law, Wise took a daring leap of faith in her professional trajectory. First, she launched a lucrative real estate investment business called Leah Wise Enterprises, LLC, and then started the thriving clothing line CrashGal Couture as a creative outlet for herself as a busy entrepreneur.
The foundation of Wise’s corporate endeavors has always been community outreach. Her nonprofit, The Wise Women Foundation, is on a mission to empower Latinas in all industries and spaces. As a co-founder of the social media segment “Latina Feature Friday,” she features Latina-owned businesses in the area. She also mentors young lawyers who are eager to learn more about personal injury law.
In 2022, Wise sponsored the Leah Wise Latina Student Hardship Fund. This $50,000 scholarship aids Latina law students in need of financial assistance at St. Mary’s University School of Law.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Wise’s rise to success in the entrepreneurial space is how quickly she made it happen. After passing the bar exam in 2016, the Valley Morning Star Readers’ Choice awarded her “Best Attorney” twice. Furthermore, she was selected for the “Best of Bar” in 2021, an honor shared by less than one percent of the country’s attorneys.
Wise’s many pursuits are bearing fruit, and she has no intention of slowing down. She is filled with new ideas for expanding the Wise Women Foundation and continues to advocate for her community, clients, tenants, and customers.
