Navigating Law as a Black Woman: Confidence, Identity, and the Journey | Felicia Williams

“I didn’t feel like I had a purpose. I didn’t feel rooted. But once I asked myself, ‘What do you actually want to do?’ everything changed.”
– Felicia Williams

On this episode of That One Lawyer™ Podcast, Neal Goldstein sits down with Felicia Williams, attorney, advocate, and first-generation law graduate, for a raw and powerful conversation about identity, confidence, and finding your purpose as a lawyer.

If you’re a young lawyer, a first-gen law student, or someone who never saw yourself represented in this profession, this conversation is going to hit you right in the chest.

Felicia opens up about the reality of being a Black woman in law — the pressure, the expectations, the isolation, and the quiet moments where confidence is tested. But she also shares how she found her footing, how she built her voice, and why she believes representation isn’t a burden… it’s an honor.

Neal and Felicia dive into the topics that law school never taught you, including:

• What it really feels like entering the profession with no blueprint or family roadmap
• How Black women experience pressure to “get everything right” just to be seen as equal
• Why confidence is built through purpose, not perfection
• How to develop a personal identity as a lawyer instead of fitting someone else’s mold
• Why representation matters more than ever — and how it shapes client trust
• How Felicia found her voice in a profession that wasn’t built with her in mind
• Why younger lawyers struggle with belonging, and how to find community
• The mindset shift that helped her turn self-doubt into real clarity and confidence

This is not another legal résumé conversation. It’s a human conversation about what it takes to become a lawyer when you’re the first in your family, when you didn’t grow up around attorneys, and when you’re navigating identity in a system that wasn’t designed for you.

Felicia reminds us that:

• You don’t need to know everything to succeed
• You don’t have to sound like everyone else
• You can create impact simply by being who you are
• And you can build a career that serves people who look like you, come from your community, and trust you because you understand them at a deeper level

For young lawyers, diverse lawyers, or anyone trying to build confidence in this field, Felicia’s story is the roadmap you wish you had on day one.

Why this episode matters
Most podcasts talk about law like it’s all tactics and business. This one talks about being human. Felicia shows that you can build a successful career not by being the loudest voice, but by being the most grounded and authentic one.

If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t belong in law, this episode proves you do.