Lawyers Have Souls Too - How The System Raised Me

A story of grit, grace, and second chances. In this episode of Lawyers Have Souls Too, host Winnie Jean-Pierre sits down with Attorney Veronica Lockett—a former foster youth who survived domestic violence, incarceration, and homelessness on her way to law school and launching her own firm.
Veronica opens up about the smells and memories that mark trauma (“pig feet, chitlins”), learning to speak up inside a system that treated her like a number, being mislabeled the aggressor, and the moment in prison when she filed an I-60 to block her abuser—choosing herself for the first time. She shares how writing became a lifeline, how mentors and teachers changed her trajectory, and why accountability has to be paired with compassion if we want justice to actually heal.
We also talk about imposter syndrome, starting law school while homeless with two kids, advocating for parents in CPS cases, and redesigning systems that confuse punishment with rehabilitation. Veronica’s message for anyone in foster care or facing incarceration: “You are more than what has happened to you. Your story doesn’t have to stop.”
If you’ve ever wondered what’s behind the briefcase—this is it: pain turned into purpose, and a lawyer who refuses to forget her humanity.
Guest: Veronica Lockett, Esq. — Criminal defense & credit advocacy (Texas)
Find her: VeronicaLockettLaw.com • “Veronica Unfiltered” on WordPress • LinkedIn & Facebook
Timestamps
0:00 Welcome & why this episode matters
2:00 Veronica’s intro: foster care → prisons → social work → law
4:00 The smell of trauma & learning not to trust
7:00 Building walls, finding a voice, writing as coping
12:00 Domestic violence, being mislabeled, and the law’s blind spots
17:00 The I-60 lightbulb moment: choosing self over abuse
23:00 Revelation: sharing a prison unit with her mother
29:00 Starting law school homeless with two kids
31:00 Punishment ≠ rehabilitation; systems that heal
33:00 Hope, resilience, and what families can overcome
40:00 “Lawyers have souls too, because…”