Advocatespedia:Today's featured article/June 17, 2024

I am from the beautiful island of Guam. I am a first-generation attorney. My passion for law runs deep. Growing up, my father grappled with drug addiction. My mother was the sole income provider, working three jobs to make ends meet. Seeing my parents go through struggles was heartbreaking. Education became my lifeline, my ticket out of the life we were living in. My motivation to become a lawyer stemmed from my father’s injustices he faced with the criminal justice system. In 2008, I began my legal journey. My parents could not afford to support me, so I worked full-time throughout all my years of schooling. Law school brought its own set of challenges as I juggled my studies with family issues and unexpected tragedies. In May 2020, I graduated law school. My journey had a few more lessons to teach me. I took the bar a second time. My mind convinced me many times to give up after all rejections, insecurities, & uncertainties about my future. But I reflected on the sacrifices that I made to get to this point. I tirelessly worked hard to pass the bar. For a few years, I struggled with the decision to either stay at my comfortable law firm that I worked at for 15 years or venture into starting my own. I found myself making excuses, promising to start next year. I felt stuck in the same routine & only letting time slip away. Also, my parents depend on me for support, so a steady paycheck was comforting. But the truth is, the obstacle holding me back from taking action was fear-fear of failure, fear of not fitting into this demanding, male-dominated industry, & fear of not having enough savings to go solo. Instead of letting these negative excuses take control, I took a leap of faith to open my own law firm, where I now practice Employment Law, Family Law, and Business Law. God’s plan took me to a completely different direction, leading me to opposite practice areas & running my own law firm. What seemed like a scary, bold, risky move at the time, ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve made. Dream big & turn your dreams into reality. Work hard, never give up, & stay true to yourself!

Valerie C. Leones, Esq.