Lexi Howard didn’t plan on becoming a lawyer. “I began working in title insurance and escrow right out of high school,” she explains. “I wanted to go to college, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, so I just began working.” Throughout her career in real estate, Howard often heard that she should consider law. “I always had so many questions and so many thoughts about how things might be better,” she laughs. “Many people suggested that I become an attorney.” It wasn’t until she became involved in state policymaking as a volunteer that Howard realized law school might be a natural fit for her interests. When she joined the California Escrow Association she became very interested in learning more about how state lawmakers were impacting her work. “I found it fascinating,” she says. “And as I became more involved in the Association, I was increasingly called to explain technical issues and evaluate how bills would impact business.” She started working more closely with the Association’s lobbyist, and began to consider law school in earnest, especially after he suggested she pursue a legal degree. “Making public policy for 39 million people is an incredibly important job that requires so much good will and good thought,” Howard says. “It was compelling to be a part of that work as a volunteer, and I wanted to learn more.”
In her mid-40’s, Howard made the leap and entered the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law as an evening student, embarking on a new career by day as a lobbyist and trade association manager that built upon her wealth of experience in real estate. While excited to learn more about the law, Howard says that starting law school as an older student with a family and a full-time job was a big challenge. “It was a strange time,” she laughs. “Most of my colleagues were half my age. Student colleagues affectionately called me the ‘team mom’ and I frequently helped my peers navigate the interpersonal challenges of working, such as how to address a difficult situation with a coworker.” She explains that she benefited from her years of life experience and work experience. Parenthood and twenty-six years in real estate taught her not to sweat the small stuff and how to navigate the professional world. At the same time, as a first-generation law student balancing a fulltime job, parenting, and school, Howard reflects, “I am so glad that I did it – and also it was very stressful.” She says her strong network of professors, students, work colleagues, friends, and family cheered her on. “For anyone considering law school later in life, I say go for it! The breadth of your lived and professional experience is meaningful. It is not too late, but also be realistic – balance is elusive and compromise is necessary.”
After graduating from law school, Howard remained with state policy work as a lobbyist before moving to private practice. “Since I went to law school to become a real estate and business attorney, I thought I should see that through.” She spent four years practicing real estate and business law and enjoyed the different challenges and experiences before expanding her career into public service. “I really wanted to work in a diverse environment where I could broaden my practice of law,” she explains. “I wanted to do something that would serve the community and public in a meaningful way.” In 2022, she joined the California Secretary of State’s Legal Affairs Office, where she currently provides legal counsel for a broad range of legal issues including a wide range of election matters, review of complex business filings, responses to public inquiries, notary public discipline, and providing other internal legal advice, much of which builds upon her experiences in both public and private law. She works on legislative and regulatory matters as well, tying in her years of work in public policy. In many ways, her role is a great fit for her past experience. “I fill a lot of legal roles that are a really strategic combination of my prior experience and relationships, both in the private and public sectors,” she says.
Throughout her varied professional experiences, Howard has witnessed the powerful impact that diversity makes both in the workplace and in work product quality. “I see the importance of diversity, especially in the legal profession, on an everyday basis. I see it when I learn anew from people with different perspectives and experiences from mine,” she reflects. “When we talk about how systems work or people operate or laws function or don’t, if we don’t have people in the room with varying experiences, we will miss critically important details.” She explains that it is impossible to have complete solutions to problems if we aren’t engaging multiple ways to solve those problems. Better ideas about complex issues emerge from teams with diverse voices. “I truly see it every day! Someone will speak up and say, ‘Well, has anyone thought about it this way…’ and share their unique insights because of their lived experiences – whether professional or personal,” she explains. “Their input would never have happened if they hadn’t been sitting at the table, ready and able to share their unique insights. Even as lawyers, we don’t necessarily know what we don’t know; we must be intentional about seeking diverse perspectives.”
The importance of having multiple voices at the table is one reason Howard finds deep value in the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association. “The LGBTQ+ Bar connects you with so many people doing so many different kinds of work! We can’t know everyone, but we can reduce the degrees of separation and make connections that result in significant collaborative efforts for good,” she says. For Howard, networking is much deeper than just chatting and making connections. “There is something powerful about forging relationships with people who also have a core commitment to the rule of law, to human rights, and to creating opportunity for everyone. We are in a service-oriented industry, so these relationships help us to better serve others.” She says that the question isn’t about how the LGBTQ+ Bar benefits her, but how the benefits of the LGBTQ+ Bar can empower her to help others. “As queer attorneys, we share the understanding that it is not okay to be othered and that we are not going to be a part of othering people. The LGBTQ+ Bar helps us connect with one another in a way that is intentional and special. We have so much in common, and we also have so much to learn from each other.”
The National LGBTQ+ Bar is grateful to count Lexi Howard amongst its membership, and is especially grateful for her service on the Bar’s Judicial Nominations and Executive Appointments Committee and her past service as leader of SacLegal, the Sacramento LGBTQ+ Bar Association and affiliate of the National LGBTQ+ Bar.