Jessica Riel

Jessica R. is a Miami-based legal operations, HR, and compliance professional with over 10 years of leadership experience across government, nonprofit, and civil justice environments. She originally pursued a career in law enforcement, beginning her academic path with the intention of becoming a police officer. However, her trajectory shifted when she became Director of a restorative justice program in Canada, where she dedicated more than a decade to supporting First Nation communities (known as Native American communities in the United States) that were disproportionately impacted by the criminal justice and correctional systems. In her restorative justice leadership role, Jessica focused on reducing recidivism through advocacy, court navigation support, and culturally grounded reintegration services. She worked closely with individuals from intake through resolution, ensuring they had consistent guidance and access to culturally relevant resources aimed at healing and community reunification. She later expanded her impact as a policy analyst with the Ministry of the Attorney General in her province, where she contributed to justice system improvements through policy development, research, and educational initiatives designed to strengthen fairness, accessibility, and systemic effectiveness. Jessica is a published author on gender-based violence and cultural identity, recognized by the Law Foundation of Ontario for work in restorative justice.

Jessica currently works at Boyd Richards Parker & Colonnelli, P.L., a boutique civil litigation and insurance defense law firm with offices in Miami, Tampa, and New York. After relocating to Miami following multiple extended visits and a strong personal connection to the city, she transitioned into civil litigation—an entirely new area of law for her. In her current role, she manages case intake, assigns new matters to appropriate teams, and ensures files are actively progressing without delay while building expertise in a different legal system. She is working toward Florida paralegal certification and gaining hands-on experience by working closely with attorneys for at least one year before sitting for the exam. Ambitious and forward-looking, Jessica continues to set new professional goals, including potential LSAT preparation, law school consideration, and expanding the scope of her work within the legal field.