Influential Woman · Personal Injury Law

Nathasha Lencaro

Litigation Paralegal Case Manager, Thomas J. Henry Law

San Antonio, TX

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Truman State University Member Non-practice attorneys committee appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas

Her Story

About Nathasha

I have been working in personal injury law for almost 5 years now, and what drew me to this field is that every case is different - every day there's a crash somewhere. I specialize in commercial injuries, and as a senior paralegal, I handle interviewing clients, all the court system work, and reviewing medical reports. Basically, I handle all the paperwork - the only thing I don't do is negotiate. One of my most notable achievements was early in my career when we had a dog bite case that our firm was about to withdraw. My heart wouldn't let me give up on it, so I told the attorney I was working with to talk to upper management and get a week extension. I believed we could find a policy if we gave it another shot, and we did - we secured a $350,000 settlement. I'm not a person that easily gives up, and when I have that gut feeling that there should be something, I just go after it. I've wanted to do something related to law ever since I was small, and right now I'm thinking about going to law school too. But I have a 3-year-old, and being a paralegal is already a lot, so I want to wait until he's a little bigger because I only get one chance to raise my boy and do it right.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Nathasha

01What do you attribute your success to?

I'm not a person that easily gives up. And my love to help the people in need - I always believe that God must put me in this position to serve the people. Ever since I was small, I wanted to do something related to law, and I'm passionate about it. When I have that gut feeling that there should be something, I just go after it. Like with that dog bite case early in my career - I knew if I did everything possible and there was nothing I could do, then it's another story. But I had that gut feeling, so I didn't give up, and we ended up securing a $350,000 settlement.

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

Take risk, and go after what you want.

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

It's gonna be hard, but if you love it and if you're passionate about helping people, you can succeed. We see a lot of ugly things - we deal with a lot of sad stories. You just have to be passionate about it, because if you're not, it will make you annoyed when clients come and vent to you. Instead of thinking like that, you have to have that empathy and think about how you can help. It's so easy to keep being in a crash, the trauma that follows you, all the treatments, and the crying. People are going to start to unload on you when they trust you, and they're going to tell you things. So you need that passion and empathy to succeed in this field.

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

The biggest challenge is the stress that comes with the job. But there are lots of opportunities in the PI field. You can start as a legal assistant with just a high school diploma, and then you can move forward. There are firms that help you get into school to continue your studies. There are lots of opportunities in this field to grow and advance your career.

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

Kindness and respect.

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