Influential Woman · Legal Industry

Daniela Alzate

Case Manager, Johnson Law Group

Houston, TX

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's Degree in Political Science Degree December 2024 Degree Minor in Legal Studies Cert Bachelor's Degree in Political Science Cert Minor in Legal Studies Cert Legal Trauma-Informed Training (in progress)

Her Story

About Daniela

I began my career in the legal field in May 2023 as a file clerk, and I've been building my experience over the past three years. Currently, I serve as a case manager, a position I've held for one year, where I manage over 200 cases on a specialized docket focused on sexual assault litigation against Uber and Lyft. Due to the sensitive nature of this work, my team and I handle intake directly with clients, which is different from typical processes. My responsibilities include gathering evidence by requesting medical records and police records, preparing court documents, communicating with clients and medical facilities, and filing cases in court. Before moving to this docket, I worked for a member of the senior council on a different project. Based on the communication skills I demonstrated in those first couple of months, I was moved to work for a partner of our firm on this more sensitive docket, which I consider my most notable achievement so far. I just graduated in December 2024 with my bachelor's degree in political science and a minor in legal studies. I'm currently completing legal trauma-informed training with my team. My path to this field has been driven by a deep commitment to supporting sexual assault and trafficking victims, a passion I've held since junior high when I tried to organize my entire school to fundraise for GEMS, an organization supporting trafficking victims. I'm focused on building experience in this area because the nature of working with sexual assault victims is so complicated and nuanced, and I hope to continue growing in this direction.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Daniela

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to my university, my firm because they're very, very supportive in terms of growth and learning opportunities, and the support of my parents, for sure.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice I ever received was about the idea of perception versus reality. It's about understanding how the way you're viewed can alter someone's perception of you. One instance can kind of change how people see you. For example, if you're on your phone, especially in my generation where this is very prevalent in the workplace, if you're even seen looking down in your lap and laughing at something, people can tell that you're being on your phone or spending too much time on it. I think the idea of upholding a good perception of being a hard worker is probably one of the biggest things that I received from my old boss who mentored me.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would say attempt to get experience early on, regardless if it's volunteer work or whether it's part-time. It really helps when you're starting to build your resume and building your career. It also just helps, especially if you're competing with people from other universities. I went to UH, so I was fighting with people who were getting out of school from UT and A&M who are very, very good schools, and I was able to compete due to the amount of experience that I had, especially with different fields of law as well. So wherever you can get your foot in the door, just get your foot in the door, regardless of pay or anything like that.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

The biggest challenges would be gathering the right experience whenever you're studying or whenever you're in college. It's hard to get out of college and seek a job in the legal field, especially if you didn't have any experience prior or in an office or anything like that. I believe I am where I am now because I sought out many internships and got a lot of in-office, in-person experience with multiple attorneys. So I think that would be the biggest challenge, just getting your foot in the door postgrad.

05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I value the idea of perception versus reality, so the way that you are perceived by the people around you will also get to determine how much responsibility and pressure you get. I would also say work ethic, a good work ethic, as well as just overall ambition, good overall ambition, and attempting to live up to that ambition.

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