Her Story
About Haley
Haley Vreeland serves as a senior paralegal in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she has dedicated 20 years to supporting clients in estate planning and post-mortem legal matters. Her expertise encompasses advising and drafting documents to plan for clients' wishes, as well as helping families untangle legal documentation after death, including probate, debt, and tax issues. She also provides compassionate counseling to families navigating grief. Vreeland holds an associate's degree in political science and is a certified paralegal. She began her career as a secretary immediately after high school and has remained with the same attorney, Robert Keyser, throughout her professional journey, advancing to handle document preparation, timelines, and serving as the primary client contact. She values understanding, compassion, humanity, and empathy in her work. Vreeland attributes her success to perseverance and loyalty, noting that her dedication to one firm allowed her to excel significantly. In addition to her professional role, she engages in charitable work with her three daughters through PTO activities.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Haley
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would contribute a lot of my success to perseverance and loyalty. I realize that a lot of my success was built off of continuing to be loyal to the firm that I was at, because I was able to excel so much within that one firm. That has contributed so much to my success.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Best career advice that I've received would probably be many times you won't realize your impact when you're living it. But whenever you get to a point in life where you can sit back and really take a picture you can see really the impact that you have done for other people to help them navigate some of life's most difficult times. And that is the biggest badge of honor.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would probably advise them that their voice matters, their experience matters, the way that they show up for others is a powerful form of leadership. It's not always necessarily the name on the door that is the biggest person or the driving force behind a business. Many times it's the support group behind the name on the door that is the people that untangle and make the situation a lot less complicated. So you are an integral part of the law firm even if your name's not the one that's being shined on as the attorney.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I would say it is learning the difference between being capable and feeling responsible for everything. In a legal practice, you become someone people depend on. You know the clients, you know the cases, you know the process, and you want everything done correctly. But I’ve learned that leadership also means understanding your boundaries, knowing when something needs to be elevated, and recognizing that you don’t have to carry everything simply because you’re capable of carrying it.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I would say the most important values are understanding, being compassionate, and also holding a level of humanity and empathy for people with any type of situation that can feel not 100% happy or complete.
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