Adriana Leal was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Texas El Paso, where she graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Sociology. She was a recipient of the El Paso Federal Bar Association scholarship, awarded to students pursuing a career in law for their dedication. Since coming to El Paso in 2002, she fell in love with the city’s rich culture and beautiful mountain views, and has since called El Paso her home.
Ms. Leal obtained her law degree from St. Mary’s University, School of Law in 2016. As a law student, she obtained invaluable experience through legal internships. Ms. Leal had the opportunity to work with attorneys specializing in immigration, probate, criminal defense, family, corporate, and employment law. She interned at the Executive Office of Immigration Review and various civil and criminal law firms throughout law school. Ms. Leal was a Dean’s List recipient during her tenure at law school.
A daughter of Mexican immigrants, Ms. Leal is a first generation American, and grew up speaking Spanish. In addition to her work through legal internships, Ms. Leal sought volunteer opportunities where her skills and bilingual talent would be most useful. She volunteered with organizations such as The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) helping monolingual Spanish-speaking persons prepare U.S. Citizenship applications. She volunteered with private firms offering pro bono legal services to immigrant detainees at the Karnes County Detention facility. Ms. Leal also helped clients with immigration matters at the St. Mary’s Center for Legal & Social Justice as part of her law school curriculum. Ms. Leal obtained the Pro Bono and Public Service Certificate for her pro bono work as a law student.
Since becoming an attorney, Ms. Leal has always strived to remain involved with the legal community. Ms. Leal is a member of the American Bar Association, American Inn of Courts, State Bar of Texas, the El Paso Bar Association, and the El Paso Women’s Bar Association. Ms. Leal is also the State Bar of Texas, Local Bar Leaders District of El Paso Committee Representative. Ms. Leal has served on the Board of the El Paso Women's Bar Association as past Secretary, Vice President, President Elect, and twice as President. Ms. Leal was the EPWBA's President from 2020-2021 and returned as President of the El Paso Women’s Bar Association for the 2023-2024 bar year.
Ms. Leal is the current Director of the Mentors in Law and Equality Program of the EPWBA, which she cofounded in 2019. MILE was created to help El Paso area pre law students achieve their goal of attending law school by matching each student with a local attorney or judge, who serves as a mentor to the student on their path to law school and legal practice. Since its inception, the program has seen many of its members achieve their goal of entering some of the nation’s top law schools.
In her free time, Ms. Leal enjoys spending time with her family. She enjoys taking road trips with her husband and two sons. Ms. Leal’s favorite place to visit is Mexico, where she maintains close ties with her family. Having grown up in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, Ms. Leal has experienced the life and culture of two border cities. Her experience as a Mexican American and border resident gives her a unique perspective on the legal needs of border communities.
