It’s a rarity for an entrepreneur to make strides in more than one uncharted territory, but lawyer and serial entrepreneur Leah Wise has managed to make it happen. Wise has made a name for herself in the male-dominated area of personal injury law and managed to clear pathways for Latinas in law, real estate investment, and even the fashion industry.
A trailblazing advocate
Leah Wise was dedicated to success from a young age, and always knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur of one kind or another. It was a post-undergrad job with a state senator that set her on a path toward community involvement. She decided to become a lawyer, and immediately following her graduation from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 2016, she opened her own firm.
What set Wise apart immediately from other new lawyers was the type of law she decided to practice: personal injury. The field is strongly male-dominated, with 79% of personal injury firms being led by men. Wise is also blazing a trail for Latina lawyers, who are even more underrepresented in the law field.
Since starting her firm, Wise has represented thousands of clients with millions of dollars in personal injury claims. In 2020, she reached the distinction of the largest personal injury settlement in the state of Texas — $7.9 million.
A renaissance woman
Not one to simply rest on her laurels, Wise decided to diversify her career path — somewhat wildly. In addition to running her successful firm, she opened a real estate investment organization, Leah Wise Enterprises, LLC., and opened her own clothing line, CrashGal Couture, a self-described creative outlet for the busy entrepreneur.
Wise has a sharp focus on being as creative and disruptive as possible with how she approaches her varied ventures. “In 2016, virtually no lawyers were advertising on social media,” she explains. “But I had just started my law practice and couldn’t afford to advertise any other way, so I became one of the first lawyers advertising on social media in South Texas.”
What is paramount to Wise in any of her business concentrations is a personal connection to her target client. She regularly gives peeks into her private life and creates entertaining content for social media to connect to people on a personalized level.
Giving back
Wise has made philanthropy the centerpiece of her business empire. She recently founded her own non-profit called the Wise Women Foundation, which seeks to empower Latinas. She is the co-founder of a social media-based segment called “Latina Feature Friday,” which highlights businesses run by Latinas and runs two mentorship groups specifically for aspiring Latina lawyers and aspiring Latina entrepreneurs.
In 2022, Wise sponsored the Leah Wise Latina Student Hardship Fund at St. Mary’s University School of Law, which pledges $50,000 to the law school to aid Latina law students. She has continued to spread philanthropic love through her community in various other ways, from raising $3,000 to distribute menstrual products in low-income high schools to raising over $10,000 for Teach for America. Her interests in community involvement are as varied and dedicated as her business ventures.
Highly decorated
What makes Wise’s rise to the top so noteworthy may be the relatively short time in which she made such a wide-ranging level of success happen. Since passing the bar in 2016, she has been named “Best Attorney” by the Valley Morning Star Readers Choice twice, and was named to the 2021 “Best of Bar” — a distinction held by only 1% of the nation’s lawyers. Her varied interests have all taken off and garnered her not only respect in her field but also her well-deserved accolades.
Wise shows no signs of stopping. Going forward, she is excited to continue building the Wise Women Foundation and to use her varied expertise not only to do the best for her clients, tenants, and customers, but also to give back to her community. To keep up with Leah you can follow her on Instagram and TikTok @Crashgal.
If you would like to get in touch with Leah Wise or her company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
