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Katherine E. Gilmer, and Sarah Russell Giglio, attorneys at Elton B. Richey & Associates, are two women whose careers are about much more than a paycheck; it’s about making a difference.

Giglio, who practiced in Dallas doing criminal defense work before moving to Shreveport, enjoys helping people. “Usually when people come to me, they are going through one of the most difficult times in their lives,” Giglio said.

“My favorite part of my job is helping my clients navigate their way through a legal system that can be confusing at its best and downright mercurial and maddening at its worst,” Gilmer said.

Gilmer and Giglio have found that women in the legal profession face unique struggles. “Particularly in the criminal defense area of the law, women are the minority,” Giglio said. “I wouldn’t say I’ve experienced discrimination from others, but I do think that sometimes I’m underestimated.”

Giglio chooses to look at that as positive instead of a negative. “Instead of being offended, I choose to use it to my advantage,” Giglio said.

“There’s no better feeling than asking questions during cross-examination that the witness never saw coming because they underestimated you!” Gilmer has experienced some of the same. “As a criminal defense attorney primarily, I handle all ranges of criminal offenses, from minor traffic violations to major violent felonies,” Gilmer said. “As a prosecutor and defense attorney, I have experienced a few instances of having individuals attempting to throw their weight around as an intimidation tactic, but these experiences have been few and far between.”

“We really care about the people we serve,” Giglio said. “Our clients mean a lot to us, and we do our best to not only help them through the legal system but also to help them get their life back in order outside the courtroom.”

Both women pour themselves into their jobs every day. “We work hard to identify why our clients ended up in our office in the first place: Were they simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? Are they factually innocent but someone accused them? Are there underlying psychological or substance abuse issues that should be addressed?”