Exploring Life & Business with Jacinda Walker of Regal Legal

I always had an interest in the legal profession. I even interned during the summers in high school at a family law practice.  When I got to school I thought I’d go a different route and majored in medicine.  However, I quickly found out that it was not my cup of tea and I returned to my initial interest which was pre-law. I double majored in pre-law and African & International Studies after being so inspired by my professors that just poured into me.

After graduating, I returned to my hometown and honestly just felt lost.  I was no longer playing basketball and the structure created around being a collegiate athlete was missing in my life.  During this period of my life that lacked direction, I found myself dabbling into many things.  I worked mainly in the hospitality/event industries.  I did everything from waiting tables, to bartending, to working events/private parties.

Everything in my life changed after discovering I was pregnant with my daughter.  The fact that I was now going to be responsible for another live besides my own immediately sharpened my focus.  I was motivated to get my life in order so that I could be prepared to take care of this precious gift that God had given me.  I enrolled in a fast-track MBA program where I majored in Finance.  Shortly after my MBA I then went on to Law School where I finally finished what I had started all those years ago when I was just a mere intern, and a pre-law undergrad.

It wasn’t until later in law career that I was introduced to investment Real Estate.  It was then that I was able to incorporate both of my undergraduate interests, Law & International Studies, and I moved towards international Real Estate investments.  I am now part of the administrative team of Paradigm Global with Keller Williams Punta Cana.  My personal investing in Tax Liens, became a springboard for me to teach classes and focus groups on how they too can invest in Tax Liens as a means for personal investments.  As I always do, I evolved more and created a women’s group that invests in both Real Estate and Tax Liens.  I found that surrounding yourself with other women that have the same goals/aspirations as you, makes life so much easier.

Looking back, I can definitely pinpoint challenges when I started law school.  By that time, my daughter had been born and I had finished my MBA program.    I tell anyone who will listen that law school is designed for you to fail, and the challenges that exist during law school ultimately shape who you are and determine how you handle future challenges.  I also had to endure what we call “THE CRASH” immediately following law school. When I graduated, I expected a completely different environment.  Partly, because I was so different after all I had been through over the previous few years, but also because I had just finished law school!

I was not alone, I think everyone during that time was a little disillusioned as to just how long the down economy would take to rebound.  The longer it took, the more disappointed I/we all became.  There was definitely a “real world” reality check where I had to adjust my expectations during that time.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am one of the managing partners of Regal Legal, a law firm with practice groups in Real Estate, Contracts, Business and Entertainment Law. Our firm is unique in that we are completely mobile and, in the cloud, which is essential for our closing services. This allows us to provide convenient services for our clients at no additional charge. Due to how we intentionally designed our firm, we found our firm not only survived, but thrived during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though, we specialize in just a few areas, where this could have been detrimental in a down economy during the pandemic, we found that it only increased our value in the areas that we serve because the niche service offerings, making us subject matter experts. I am most proud of the fact that two African-American women, both single moms at the time, started a law firm that has increased its profits every single year. We have been blessed to not have one year in the red, and we are closing in on our 6th year in business.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was a walking conundrum. Very bright and nerdy, but at the same time, athletic and very much into physical activities. I was definitely one of those students who received “needs improvement in talking” on every report card. I literally would never meet a stranger, and that skill has carried over into my business networking skills. I was always headstrong and detail-oriented with an appreciation for multiple disciplines. I truly loved science, and I was good at math (even though I did not like it), but I also loved history and reading. The type of law that I currently practice is very much aligned with my childhood interests, academic and avocational.