Meet Reatter Neal of The Law Office of Reatter E. Neal, PLLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Reatter Neal

Hi Reatter, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a native to Bunn, NC (Go Wildcats)! Once I graduated from Bunn High School, I decided that I wanted to become a lawyer. After going through undergrad and law school, I decided to hang my own shingles. I always said I would never come back home to practice law because of how small it is. I wanted to be in Charlotte or Winston-Salem and near the city. However, fate brought me home. My last year of law school was during Covid and so it made sense financially to move back home and save my money on renting an apartment in Durham. I took the bar exam in a local attorney’s law office and anxiously waited for my results. On September 14, 2021 (one day before my 25th birthday), I found out that I passed and was able to be a licensed attorney in the state of North Carolina.

Alright, 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?
I think others see me and think it has been a smooth road because of how young I am. However, the road has been a winding one in my opinion. I had my son at the age of 14. Luckily, I have supportive parents and family who all helped me and allowed me to be a mom and still live a regular teenage and college student life. I moved to Greensboro when my son was 3 years old and would visit or get him on weekends. While in college, my dad passed away which made it very hard on my mom for a while. Trying to juggle motherhood, being a college student, and a supportive family member was tough. Once things financially got back on track, then I started law school and got to witness the struggles of being an African-American woman in the legal profession. 5% of lawyers in the US are African-American, and of that 5%, 2% are women. So I am a double minority and it does get lonely.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Law Office of Reatter E. Neal, PLLC?
I am a solo practitioner in Prosecutorial District 11 in NC. My primary focus is criminal law. I also handle family law and simple wills. I mainly practice in Franklin, Vance, Warren, Granville, Wake and Nash county. I am known for being organize and on top of my cases. I like to say I am a “straight shooter”. I will tell you my honest and legal opinion and try not to be unrealistic. I am 28 years old and that sets me apart from my colleagues. The courts are now switching to electronic software and being that I grew up on technology, I am ahead of the learning curve. I am most proud of my brand being authentically me. My favorite color is pink and since I am my own boss, I get to wear what I want and do what I want. I define what is professional in my firm. My logo has a splash of pink. I use gem studded ink pens in court, I wear color suits to court and just get to be me. I find that some people define professional as dark colored suits, straight hair, neutral button downs, straight sleeves, and low heels. As for me, I love colors, ruffles, and glitter. I get to define what professional looks like and I am proud to do so, even when I am the only woman in the room.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My advice would be to learn from your colleagues. Sometimes, it’s not learning what to do, but learning what not to do. I have learned more of what not to do by observing my colleagues. Also, do not be afraid to ask questions. I suffer from imposter syndrome and have to constantly tell myself that I know what I am doing. Sometimes that includes knowing when to ask questions and be honest about not knowing. Trust the process and just know, law school does not prepare you for the practice of law. Only practicing law can prepare you for practicing law.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.reatterlaw.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reatterlaw?igsh=MTJ2aXZxa3RkNWt6MQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reatter-neal/