Today we’d like to introduce you to Louize Fiore.
Hi Louize, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am the owner of Aequibelli Law and the owner/founder of The Bellimori Foundation.
I graduated from NSU in 2015 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Legal Studies & a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science. I then graduated from University of Miami Law with my JD in 2018, where I was admitted into the Florida Bar the same year.
This journey was long and not always clear. I was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Since I was about five years old, I knew I wanted to be an attorney in the United States. As luck would have it, my family migrated to Florida when I was ten years old, which made my desire to be an attorney in the US viable.
With this goal in mind, I made sure I succeeded academically and managed to finish high school and begin college when I was 16 years old. Unfortunately, when I was 17 years old, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and I had to leave college to assist with the family business (Muller & Fiore Consulting), take care of my siblings, and watch over my mother’s recovery.
Between family, work, and general life, I only returned to college when 24 years old. I attended NSU as a double major, where I was warned by my academic advisor to not take full class loads and was discouraged from completing a double major because I was still working full time while in school. Needless to say, I did not listen. Instead, I dedicated myself to my childhood dream of becoming an attorney. I took 4-5 classes per semester, worked in the family business, and sought an internship in 2012 with a law firm. Yes, this sounds insane and no, I did not sleep much!
By 2013, I felt I had a routine, albeit very busy. Nevertheless, life had other plans for me. In August of 2013, my husband and I took in my two nephews. So now, it got really, really busy; I’m in college full time, working full time, interning for a law firm while raising two toddlers. But I wasn’t going to quit. I had done it once and I refused to do it again. So I pushed through; I sought support from friends and family; I sought support from my professors and my mentor.
In the end, I graduated NSU with both degrees and having published two undergraduate law reviews; made lifetime connections with professors I still work with today; and the founder of the law firm where I interned is still my mentor and greatest advisor.
I then began UM Law on scholarship while still working and having a family. But again, life decided to add another curveball and I found myself fully in a family law case while juggling law school, work, and family. Again, I didn’t quit. I pushed through and kept my goal in mind, even as I gave up on the notion of sleep! In the end, I graduated Cum Laude with my scholarship from UM Law and passed the Fla Bar that same year.
So now, I made it. Now, my career really starts. But how? I was so focused on getting here that I didn’t think of where to go next. I mean I knew I wanted to primarily practice Immigration Law; I knew that my real estate and business background would permit me to easily transition into Real Estate and Business Law; I knew I wanted to be a litigator. I also knew that obtaining justice is expensive so many people are not able to do so because of costs.
But all of this sounded like it couldn’t fit into one career. And that’s when I thought, why not? I mean my road to my career was not a direct line nor was it standard. So why not create a career that also wouldn’t be standard. And that thinking is exactly what has gotten me here.
Today, I own my own law firm, Aequibelli Law, just three years from being admitted into the Fla. Bar. We specialize in Immigration Law and work in Civil Litigation, Real Estate Law, and Business Law as our secondary areas. I am also the founder of The Bellimori Foundation, which seeks to assist immigrants and low income individuals in obtaining educational, legal, and mental health resources. The ultimate career goal for me became to do what I love, law while helping people. After all, I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for all of those who helped me along my way.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My main obstacles were my mother’s health; taking in my nephews at a time when I was in school and working full time; beginning my 1st year of law school while fully in litigation while working.
But the biggest obstacle was myself and finding the confidence to create the career I wanted despite it looking different than the careers most of my colleagues created. It took a lot of time and self-reflection to obtain the courage to create my own path and not try to fit into the “typical” or “standard” career path.
We’ve been impressed with Aequibelli Law & The Bellimori Foundation, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Aequibelli Law is a for-profit law firm that specializes in Immigration Law while also practicing Civil Litigation, Real Estate Law, and Business Law.
The Bellimori Foundation is a Private Operating Foundation that seeks to assist immigrants and low-income individuals in obtaining educational, legal, and mental health resources.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Do not give up on your dreams, whatever they may be or no matter how far reaching they may appear. But also remember that your dreams can change as your life journey progresses so always be adaptable.
Take life’s curveballs and make it work for you. Learn from them; use them to create confidence in yourself; use them to adapt and modify your dreams as needed; use them to teach you to be humble and to rely on others. You will not know everything and you will not achieve everything all the time, especially on your imagined timeline. But that’s ok because as long as you keep moving forward, you will get there. And your “there” doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s “there.”
Contact Info:
- Email: louize.fiore@aequibellilaw.com
- Website: www.aequibellilaw.com & www.thebellimorifoundation.com
- Instagram: @aequibelli & @thebellimori
- Facebook: @aequibelli & @thebellimori
Image Credits
The photos with Aequibelli Law & The Bellimori Foundation logo were taken by Tatiana Malinine with Molt Branding. All others were various events.
