Today we’d like to introduce you to L’Erin Barnes Wiggins.
L’Erin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was quite the talkative and argumentative child. I was told consistently that I would make a good lawyer and it stuck. I knew that becoming a lawyer and eventually a United States Supreme Court Justice was in my future. And every step and decision I took from that day forward was to get me closer to that goal until… until the summer before my sophomore year of high school, my life, a lawyer-in-training life, changed in a big way. We were moving to Georgia from Louisiana and not to Atlanta, but to Lovejoy, Georgia. Where was that on the map? I was devastated and it showed. Not long after my mother and I moved, I thought I was going to need a lawyer. Disruptive behavior, school suspensions, and pregnant at the age of 15 became my reality. While I managed to maintain good grades, I also managed to lose sight of that childhood dream in this new town. But the realness of being a teen mother was terrifying in an ironic and healing kind of way. This baby boy needed an example of hard work, strength, resilience, and triumph. He needed a hero. I could be that for him; I was his mother.
I was 16. My son, Avery, was 4 months and we graduated from Lovejoy High School. At age 20 and age 4, we graduated from Spelman College. And at 23 and 7 years old, we earned a Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law and passed the Georgia Bar. While I may have been his hero momma, Avery was my cape, my badge of honor, and my most precious reason to fight those bad guys that said we couldn’t do it.
Today, I own L F Barnes Law where I serve as a City Attorney for three cities. Ironically, my firm’s first client was the City of Lovejoy. I also serve as a Municipal Court Judge in two cities. I enjoy reading, cooking, writing poetry and encouraging youth to set goals and achieve them despite hurdles. Avery is a rising senior at Howard and I am happily married striving to be a hero momma to our beautifully blended family.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been quite the opposite of smooth, more like rocky, lonely, dark, and scary. The struggles have never been doing the work to achieve my goals, but all the obstacles and distractions that took me away from the work took me off the path and made the goals seem further away. The obvious struggle was financial. Paying for college and daycare was indeed a struggle. In fact, I have the loan payments to show for it. Trying to juggle bills, save for the future, and still have enough left over for a movie, Avery’s little league expenses, and my own needs (and wants) was a daily balancing act. What I learned, however, was to be proactive, honest, and not embarrassed to ask for help. My financial advice is to call ahead. If you know you are going to be late on a bill, call before it’s due, be honest about when you can pay and honor that promise to pay.
The personal and not so obvious struggles for me were being misunderstood and feeling like I was alone. There were no other girls pregnant in high school or starting college with a baby in tow. I had a different experience that I felt like no one understood. I lost my mom when I was 24 and even with a big sister, friends and other families, it felt like it was only Avery and me against the world. Having those experiences, I would advise young women to remember you are never alone. Regardless of your religious beliefs, there is a greater power that exists created just for your good. That power is greater than your fears and you can invoke it with just a belief that you can and you will. I challenge young women to believe in the impossible and shine their light even in what seems to be the dark. The desire and quest for good are contagious. Thus, being and doing your best will attract the best back to you and opportunities and people designed for your good will be inevitable.
What should we know about your business? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As a local government lawyer, I represent municipalities in just about every area of the law. I write ordinances and resolutions to be considered by mayors and councils. I litigate and provide legal advice in matters regarding employment, code enforcement, contracts, property, torts, taxes, zoning, ethics, construction, economic development, and just about every issue that a local governing authority has to consider on behalf of its constituents.
As a municipal court judge, I preside over all traffic, city code and certain misdemeanor offenses. I have the sentencing authority of up to 12 months jail and $1000.00 in fines.
I love being involved at the city level. Local government is the most important level of government to our every day lives. Whether it is a decision on road paving, trash pick up, police and fire services, or the placement of street lights, I am proud to be a part of the dedication, hard work and public service that elected officials to commit to in order to provide value to their taxpayers. And whether it is creating a sentence to help preserve the license of a young driver, taking a drunk driver off the roads, or dismissing an elderly lady’s first citation for high grass, as a judge, I am proud to be a part of the municipal courts that allow for innovative and purposeful ways to ensure justice is preserved in low-level offenses.
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
Absolutely. Having to grow up more quickly than my peers definitely shaped my success. Although experiencing motherhood at 15 is not an ideal or condoned way to go through high school, that experience for me made me recognize struggles, appreciate sacrifices, and endure consequences. Now that I advise local governments and serve as a judge, I cannot forget what it was like to be a single mom with limited resources and without tangible luxuries. I had life experiences that make me conscious that it is not a one-size-fits-all world and that no book can be judged by its cover. For every ordinance passed or sentence handed down, I endeavor to consider the individuals on the other end and the potential collateral consequences. Will it impact someone’s ability to drive to work or school? Will it provide safety to children at the bus stop? Will it cause someone to lose their job? Will it result in economic development that may increase property value? My experiences have allowed me to serve in a way that the lives of people matter and nothing are more rewarding and successful than considering and serving others.
Contact Info:
- Email: lerin@lfbarneslaw.com
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