Courtesy of Leah Stiegler
Leah Stiegler
Leah Stiegler, 30 / Attorney, Woods Rogers PLC
Leah Stiegler graduated summa cum laude from Virginia Tech, earning a B.S. in Environmental Policy and a B.A. in Spanish, before graduating with honors with a J.D. from the University of Richmond law school. With Woods Rogers since 2014, Stiegler is a public speaker, including the 2018 Virginia Women’s Conference hosted by Senator Mark Warner. She was nominated for the Girl Scouts of Virginia “Women of Achievement” award in Servant Leadership, and received the Pro Bono Certification Award from the Legal Aid Justice Center. Stiegler also has a strong passion for youth sports, coaching “The Bosses,” a Roanoke City girls’ youth basketball team, and is Chair of the Board for Virginia Amateur Sports, Inc. “Sports (whether I was good at them or not!) helped me develop character traits and values such as discipline, hard work, teamwork and persistence,” she says. “I believe we should find ways to create equity in youth athletic programs so that children of all socioeconomic classes can have the same opportunities to develop these traits.”
- Pro Bono Certification Award – Legal Aid Justice Center in Richmond
- Girls Scouts of Virginia “Women of Achievement” – nominee in Servant Leadership Award category
- Graduated summa cum laude, earning a B.S. in Environmental Policy and a B.A. in Spanish from Virginia Tech (Leah, can you confirm graduation year?)
- Graduated cum laude with a J.D University of Richmond law school
- Interned with the Honorable Kevin R. Huennekens, U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Eastern District of Virginia
- Completed a judicial clerkship with the Honorable Lawrence R. Leonard, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Virginia
- Began her legal career with Woods Rogers as a Summer Associate in 2014 and returned as a full Associate in 2015
- A member of the Virginia Bar Association and the Federal Bar Association
- Spoke at the 2018 Virginia Women’s Conference hosted by Senator Mark Warner on the topic of Implicit Bias and Diversity
- Has been head coach of “The Bosses,” a youth basketball team for girls in Roanoke City
- Chair of the Board for Virginia Amateur Sports, Inc.
- Published articles with Lynchburg Business magazine and Opening Statement (the official publication of the Young Lawyers division of the Virginia Bar Association)
From the Nomination: “In the words of the Woods Rogers’ Chairman, Victor Cardwell, who also chairs the Labor and Employment practice group, ‘Leah Stiegler is an attorney whose enthusiasm for her profession and her community runs at full speed. Never one to settle for ‘good enough’, she has pursued and created opportunities to gain experience and grow her Labor & Employment legal practice. Leah is a true collaborator with her team.’ Stiegler has a particular knack for connecting with people, for identifying areas of interest to an audience and structuring presentations in an engaging and interesting way. … Stiegler is a requested and popular speaker on labor and employment issues, not only in the firm’s own seminars, but with groups and organizations across Virginia. … During her years at the University of Richmond’s school of law, Stiegler earned the Pro Bono Certification Award for completing over 120 hours of pro bono service and public interest work for her time working with the Legal Aid Justice Center in Richmond, Va., the law school’s Immigration Clinic, and the Charlottesville Public Defender’s Office. … As part of her legal practice, Stiegler advises many civic and community clients including the Roanoke City Police Department’s Threat Assessment Task Force on employer liability in the face of workplace safety and security concerns. Stiegler also provides extensive counsel to non-profit organizations nationwide. Stiegler believes strongly in the value of youth athletics. Since moving to Roanoke, she has been head coach of ‘The Bosses,’ a youth basketball team for girls in the City of Roanoke. She is also Chair of the Board for Virginia Amateur Sports, Inc., a non-profit organization that promotes physical fitness and healthy lifestyles and runs the Virginia Commonwealth Games—the largest multi-sport festival held in Virginia each year.
What do you love about Roanoke?
Stiegler: “Roanoke’s culture lends itself to a unique professional intimacy you don’t get in other cities. You can run into your accountant at the gym, text your doctor on the weekends and babysit for your barista. It’s a city where you can develop familiar relationships with ease. I moved here having no family or friends in the area, but found that I quickly became familiar and friendly with those persons I interacted with on a day-to-day basis, from the gym to the office. Not only did I make personal connections, but this culture provided the perfect landscape for my legal career to blossom, to grow a client base and find influential ways to serve the community. It also doesn’t hurt that it is full of Hokies!”
How does your passion impact our community?
Stiegler: “I have a strong passion for youth sports. Sports (whether I was good at them or not!) helped me develop character traits and values such as discipline, hard work, teamwork and persistence. I believe we should find ways to create equity in youth athletic programs so that children of all socioeconomic classes can have the same opportunities to develop these traits. Since arriving to Roanoke in 2016, I have coached youth basketball, served as the Basketball Athletic Director on the Greater Southwest Athletic Association Board, volunteered with Mayor Lea’s Youth Outdoor Basketball League and now sit as the Board Chair for Virginia Amateur Sports, which runs Virginia’s Commonwealth Games. My passion for youth athletics has helped further thicken the strong sports fabric that exists in Roanoke.”