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On September 22, 2022, WLD Board Member Emily VanTyle had a chance to chat with WLD member Valerie Loya. We are honored to get a chance to chat with Valerie and to get to know her better! |
Name and Position: Valerie Loya, attorney at Hensley Legal Group, PC where I specialize in representing injured persons in negligence cases.
Can you tell us about you? I am originally from Arlington, Virginia, which is just outside of Washington, DC. Both my parents immigrated to the U.S, my Dad from Mexico and my Mother from Bolivia. I grew up in a predominantly Hispanic community alongside other first-generation Americans. When it was time to go to college, I decided to go to Virginia Commonwealth University (“VCU”) where I majored in Political Science and International Studies. While at VCU, I was lucky to meet some great mentors who ended up being pretty influential in my life and career track. My freshman advisor had gone to the University of Iowa and encouraged me to apply to the law school’s summer pre-law program. The University of Iowa College of Law sponsored a 6-weeks intensive program that allowed students to take legal classes as an introduction to law school and the legal field. I was accepted into the program and after completing it, it solidified my decision to want to be an attorney. As a result of my time there, I fell in love with the campus and ended up applying to the University of Iowa, where I received a full-tuition scholarship. While in law school, I met my husband who was traveling for work from Indianapolis. I moved to Indy, we got married (after promising to disavow all other BIG10 teams and only cheer for Purdue), and the rest is history!
Other than the program at the University of Iowa, what led you want to become an attorney? My Mom always joked that since I liked to argue, read, and write, that I should be an attorney. I didn’t have direct contact with any lawyers prior to the program at the University of Iowa, but I always had a desire to help people and I can’t stand the idea of someone being treated unfairly. I knew I wanted a career where I could help others directly in an impactful way and becoming a lawyer made the most sense.
Have you had any female mentors that helped bring you to where you are now? I will never forget my undergrad professor, Dr. Deirdre Condit. She was the political science department chair at VCU and I probably had the majority of my junior and senior level classes with her. She was so encouraging when I was applying for law school and spent hours helping me redraft my personal essay. I can’t not mention my Mom as one of my mentors especially when that personal essay was about her and her impact on my life.
What do you like most about being an attorney? No two days are the same. Before my current position, I was a domestic violence prosecutor. While the subject matter was heavy, I enjoyed the excitement of the courtroom, crafting arguments, and using those arguments to win over a jury or a judge. Working as a DV prosecutor I had to be a therapist, a detective, and a lawyer, sometimes working with people that did not want my help. Now, my clients are asking for my help (I’m still a part-time therapist). I have a great respect for the law and believe it should be accessible to all. Whether in my role as a prosecutor or personal injury attorney, I want my clients to understand the legal system. My responsibility to them is not lost on me, especially since my client-base is primarily Spanish speaking. My hope is to leave them better then when they came to me and with a better understanding of the legal system.
What organizations are you involved in? I am a Board Member of La Plaza Inc. They connect Latino families to health and social services and advocate for educational opportunities for Latino students in Central Indiana. Some of the work and money they raise goes towards summer programming for students, college scholarships, and hosting FIESTA, a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration that takes place downtown every year. I am also a member of the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, Indybar Hispanic Lawyers Division, and am hoping to become more active with the Indiana Latino Democratic Caucus.
What do you like to do outside of the office? My husband and I have recently gotten into glamping (“glam camping”) on Airbnb. We try to find rural areas with unique scenery to visit. One of my favorite spots is an Airbnb about 20 minutes from Louisville. The owner has an Airstream camper set up in the middle of her horse farm. It felt like a dream watching the sunset and sunrise surrounded by all the horses!
If you had to give one piece of advice to another female attorney, what would it be? This sounds harsher than what it means but “No one cares about you.” My Dad first said this to me when I was 12 after I refused to go to church because I was embarrassed about how my hair looked. After I got over the initial shock of his statement he explained that no one is going to remember me from the next guy and he had a point. We are our own worst critics but no one else cares as much as you. It’s a simplified message but it helped me live fearlessly and to take advantage of opportunities regardless of any creeping self-doubt I had. My Dad first said this to me when I was 12 after I refused to go to church because I was embarrassed about how my hair looked. After I got over the initial shock of his statement he explained that no one is going to remember me from the next guy and he had a point. We are our own worst critics but no one else cares as much as you. It’s a simplified message but it helped me live fearlessly and to take advantage of opportunities regardless of any creeping self-doubt I had.
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