Attorney and entrepreneur Leah Wise is making waves in both the legal field and fashion industry. 

Based in Pharr, Texas, Wise obtained her Bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin, and went on to receive her law degree in 2016 from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. As the only Latina owned law firm dedicated to personal injury in South Texas, Wise has been a trailblazer as an attorney committed to advocating for her clients while passionately representing the Latino community.

Championing the rights of personal injury clients, Wise is also an entrepreneur in fashion and currently operates CrashGal Couture, LLC which specializes in women’s clothing and accessories.  Wise’s overall determination and passion for both law and fashion act as a strong reminder of resilience and commitment to innovation. Texas Lifestyle Magazine had the honor of speaking with Wise recently and inquired further about her career and aspirations. 

Tell us more about yourself? 

I was born and raised in deep South Texas on the Texas-Mexican border in Rio Grande Valley, and our town happens to always be in the news a lot for that reason. And it truly feels like a very international area because there is so much international commerce and people cross back and forth every day; and it’s also a very low income area. I eventually went to undergrad at UT Austin, then I went to law school in San Antonio at St. Mary’s. After I finished school, I moved back home to the Valley, and I’ve been here for almost 10 years now and specialize in personal injury as an attorney while running my clothing line. I am also a real estate investor and just opened a co-working space. 

What inspired you to become an attorney? 

Once I graduated from undergrad, I didn’t know what I wanted to do and was very lost. So I got a job with a state senator here in Texas and her name is Wendy Davis. She’s no longer a senator, but I got a job with her during the Texas legislative session in between undergrad and law school. When I was working at the legislature, that’s when I was inspired to be an advocate for my community. Elected officials, they go to the state capitol, advocate, and pass bills. So without having to run for office I figured the best way to do that was to become an attorney to be able to advocate for my clients and my community. And because I’m from this very poor region of Texas, I knew I wanted to come back home and help my community as much as possible. In retrospect, observing legislators in Austin really inspired me to become an attorney. 

Can you tell us more about the type of law that you practice?

Sure. I represent anybody who has been injured through the negligence of a third party. Say it’s a car accident, slip and fall accident, medical malpractice, defective products, work accidents, or for example oil field explosions – any sort of personal injury where we can hold a third party liable for their negligence. So that’s who I represent. 

What is your favorite part about being an attorney and any challenges that you want to mention? 

My favorite part is what I mentioned before which is advocating for my clients and being able to be their voice. Most of my clients are very low income, and don’t speak English and are very anti-litigation. Most of them just want to stay in their lane and not get anybody in trouble even though what happened was not their fault. I think that a lot of people, especially in the Texas Legislature would like to keep it that way, and be sort of intimidating. The legal process is not accessible to a lot of people, so I’m glad that I’m able to stand up for the everyday common person. Most of my fighting is against huge insurance companies. So, you know, huge insurance companies will try to intimidate some of my less educated or less informed clients into accepting settlements that are way below what they deserve. I get satisfaction to be able to help my community and make sure that they get the settlements and medical care that they deserve. 

As a Latina lawyer, have you faced any barriers as it pertains to your Hispanic heritage in your career? 

The short answer is yes but there’s some explaining. So I live where everybody’s Latino, right? You don’t really experience racism here because it’s like 90% Latino. But at the same time, even just being a woman presents a lot of issues, because if you’ve ever visited Texas you will see many male lawyers on billboards. Before I started putting up billboards, there really weren’t any women lawyers on billboards, especially in south Texas. It sounds weird to say but I actually do think I was the very first personal injury attorney as a woman to be on billboards. Personal injury is also a very male-dominated space within the legal field. Thankfully, there are a lot more women who are starting to get into it. But in 2016, there really weren’t high-level women in personal injury. So that was a challenge for me because a lot of male attorneys were trying to bully and intimidate me and make me feel like I didn’t belong and that it’s too expensive. I also had other lawyers tell me I should just get a job at the DA’s office or get a job at a law firm. I’m very thankful that clients started taking a chance on me, and I started proving myself  in 2020 where we actually got the largest settlement in the state of Texas for that year. 

What should we know about your clothing line Crash Gal Couture, LLC?

I love fashion and I love anything girly such as clothes, shoes, purses, makeup. So I started this clothing line in 2022 as sort of my creative outlet. We’re going on three years this fall and it’s been a lot of fun. We sell a lot of what I would say is affordable clothes. Mostly everything is less than a hundred dollars and we ship nationwide. We also have a website called crashgalcouture.com. It’s stuff that I would wear, and some of it’s business casual and professional. I like to curate versatile outfits for women to wear to the office and then transition to happy hour from day to night. 

How are you balancing your career in law and operating a clothing line?

I don’t have kids, which is a big thing. I also have my operations manager, marketing manager, and team. 

Can you tell us about your non-profit?

I recently started a nonprofit called Wise Women Foundation, and we seek to award a $5,000 scholarship to a Latina law student who is experiencing financial hardship.

Any advice to other Latinas and women out there pursuing success? 

My advice is to just know that you belong. Know that you bring just as much to the table, if not more, than any of your counterparts. Coming from a Latino culture is such a beautiful thing and we should embrace it instead of shying away from it because it actually brings so much more strength to the workplace. So double down on that mindset that our culture is actually a strength of ours rather than something to be ashamed of. 

Consistency is also important. So staying consistent, hardworking, and  keeping your goals in mind can go a long way. Also surround yourself with the right people who lift you up and are happy when you’re succeeding. 

Any last thoughts? 

The last thing I’ll say goes back to the advice. I think perfectionism can be a really big hindrance to anybody who’s looking to excel in their career. If I had waited until the perfect circumstances came together before starting my law practice, it never would have happened. And so sometimes I tell people it doesn’t have to be perfect and to just get started and things will fall into place as long as you’re working towards it.

Follow Leah Wise on Instagram here. 

Crash Gal Couture Instagram

Leah Wise’s Official Website

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Cover photo Barbara Delgado.

Originally from San Antonio, Jenny Castro has a passion for writing, travel, and discovering new topics. She loves Tex-Mex food, Tejano music and George Strait. Check her out on Instagram to keep up with her work and latest adventures.