We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Leigha Wickham. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Leigha below.

Leigha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

We love felons. I’m a felon, I know many other people in Denver who are felon’s too. I personally, have made it my mission to own and rebrand the label felon. The photo spread which accompanies this article is our take on rebranding felon in the style of Chanel. A juxtaposition as one might think a felon’s Chanel is stolen. Ashley Nagle brings to life my ideas with her photography. Thanks Ash!!

Owning a label is like the ending battle in the movie 8 Mile, where Jimmy Smith, Jr. takes all the ammunition away from his opponent, “This guy ain’t no motherf***ing MC. I know everything he is about to say against me. I am white. I am a f***ing bum. I do live in a trailer with my mom. My boy Future is an Uncle Tom. I do have a dumb friend named Cheddar Bob who shoots himself in the leg with his own gun. I did get jumped by all six of you chumps. And Wink did f*** my girl. I’m still standing here screaming F*** the free world!”

I also wear my felon label so I can stand on top of it, like a platform, to speak to the injustice experienced by many of us labeled felon.

I am a baby Gen Xer born in 1980 at the height of the war on drugs. I am a second generation felon, mom and dad both have felonies. The war on drugs has labeled and incarcerated millions of people while leveling our civil liberties and civil rights at the cost of the taxpayer. This war on drugs celebrated a 50 year reunion in 2021. America has incentive to lock people up as the American prison system turns a profit. Felons make America a lot of money.

Many people are quite literally American prisoners of the war.

The MHLA Center understands the struggle is systemic.

Individuals in our society are given labels, these labels are designed to keep people in their respective lane, to keep people in belief of limitations; knowing the people will self impose these constructed beliefs by accepting their label.

This is not an error in the system, this is the plan. A plan to keep the people controllable, to keep the people sick, to keep the people poor.

At the MHLA Center we bridge the poverty gap while educating people at the same time.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I began Mile High Legal Assist (MHLA) in 2020, six months into the COVID pandemic. People thought I was nuts, and some still do. Right before the pandemic placed all our lives on hold, I was deep in the trenches with my team preparing for a rather lengthy three-week civil trial. At the time, I was a Plaintiff’s Trial Paralegal, I had lots of money and no friends. I was a work horse, pulling ungodly hours avoiding other issues in my life.

Compartmentalization, am I right?

When the State of Colorado was placed under stay-at-home orders many of us had time, like it or not, to reflect. I realized we teach people how to treat us. After I honored my need to slow down, I found myself unhappy with my docket; I lost that taste for blood. I needed a kinder and gentler approach; opposite what a trial litigator looks like 24-7.

What I can do well, we can do better. A collective of paralegals; we not I. Mile High Legal Assist is what sprouted from that seed.

A few years later I founded the MHLA Center, the nonprofit side of Mile High Legal Assist.

At the MHLA Center, we understand everyday life is a struggle for most. Economic insecurity is a reality for many. We aim to bridge the poverty gap, offering occupational skill building sessions and resources focused in the field of legal support.

We funnel contractors from the nonprofit into the for profit offering 1099 Contract opportunities to those with the MHLA Center who are ready for that next step. This hands on experience boosts the resume of the individual, bridging the poverty gap, essentially.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In 7th grade I was in the junior high school choir. My choir instructor did not believe in me, she judged me based upon my class status. There was no middle class in my hometown, one could tell by looks if your family had money. I still took her class as I was interested in singing. Every year my junior high school held tryouts for Stars Of Tomorrow, which was a local talent show held at the City’s Civic Center. I intended to try out for Stars of Tomorrow. Our choir teacher announced she would help those students interested prepare for their entry into the Stars of Tomorrow competition. When I approached the choir teacher for her help she could never make time and did not seem take me or my efforts very seriously. When I found out the choir instructor had helped prepare some other students for their Start of Tomorrow entries I was devastated and went home crying to my mom.

My Family pulled up.

My uncle found me a Patsy Cline instrumental for Walkin’ After Midnight and mom helped me glue sequins on a hat to make a costume. I practiced the song over and over in front of my sister whom did not hold back in ways I could execute the performance better.

Tryouts came and I took the stage, sweaty but ready. I rocked the casbah and received a standing ovation. I won my spot in the show. I did not win all over at Stars of Tomorrow but I had my piece of that stage and that crowd if only for one moment. That moment stayed forever in my spirit. I do not quit.

My choir teacher changed her tune only after I proved my worth to her… That choir teacher helped to coach me later in life to a many chair in many choirs and jazz groups the most honorable being a chair in the All Northwest Choir, my first national stage.

The tenacity I cultivated preparing for Stars of Tomorrow stays with me and being able to circle back and face a person whom I’ve faced before in adversity; not only with the ability to mend a broken path but to go on to build a thriving relationship. This taught me grace at a very young age.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My sister gave me this advise, leave them loving you. It’s a small world and word of mouth is the best form of marketing both good exposure and not so good. To leave them loving you requires effort. Issues arise and personalities conflict, it takes time to learn to finesse a situation directly and to communicate clearly when tempers flare.

Many have a work persona, I do not. I am the same Leigha in the office as you’ll see in the supermarket. Perhaps this transparency helps me to maintain close business relationships as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.milehighlegalassist.com/
• Instagram: @leigha_derae
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leigha-wickham-765b78a5/

Image Credits
Ashley Nagel