Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashanti Palmer
Growing up, I always had a passion for helping others. At first, I desired to become a teacher, specifically in neighborhoods of poverty, and host accelerated after-school programs. As I got older, myself and others around me began to notice the true advocate within me. I never took “no” for an answer, and I was always inquisitively combative in moments of misunderstanding. In high school, I joined the debate team, and I quickly learned that my improv and argumentative skills were top tier. So, “what do I do with these skills?”, was always the question. I was still interested in becoming a teacher, but for some reason it didn’t feel like that was enough. It did not feel like teaching was my calling. Soon thereafter, I inadvertently became more aware of the reality of my surrounding situations. I witnessed the adversities of some of my family members and friends. During my freshman year of college, a close family member was arrested. The sight of helplessness, hopelessness, and fear was saddening, especially on the face of someone close. Being previewed to that along with the general state of confusion from people who are genuinely unknowledgeable affirmed my decision of becoming an attorney, specifically a criminal defense attorney. In my junior year, at the one and only University of Florida (Go Gators!), I changed my major to Criminology, and if I wasn’t sold before, I was definitely sold on becoming a lawyer then. After seeing and understanding first-hand the injustices of the system, the discretionary mistreatment of power holders, and people’s inability to self-help, I knew it was my calling to advocate on behalf of those who fell victim to the system, and who did not have the confidence, knowledge and/or ability to advocate for themselves. I felt whole-heartedly that something had to be done to stop the injustices, and it takes us, the people, to catalyze those changes.
Aside from wanting to become a lawyer, in the fashion of public service, I founded my own charitable organization. During my senior year of college, after a conversation with a group of young ladies and hearing one girl’s testimony about how horrible her high school prom experience was, due to finances and a lack of support from her family, it made me think about how great my prom experience was. Although I had to finance some of it myself, I was still blessed with the finances and family support to make that night a great and memorable night. This led to me starting my foundation, Make a Princess Foundation. Make a Princess funds one female, high school scholar’s prom experience, by gathering hairstylists, makeup artists and nail technicians to volunteer their time and services to the selected candidate. Make a Princess also raises funds to go towards the candidate’s prom dress, shoes, and miscellaneous prom needs. I wanted the candidate to be a deserving candidate, so I conduct an application process through my alma mater, Miramar High School, and select the individual who is an academic scholar, involved whether in school and/or the community, who has plans to go to a four-year university upon graduation, and who suffers from financial hardship. I take pride and joy in granting one individual this opportunity each year.
After college, I took time off before going to law school, to work in other fields in efforts to guarantee the career choice I was making would be the one I wanted and the one I was going to stick with. I became a leasing agent and a bartender. I actually bartended my way through law school. During my time as a bartender, I became very interested in hosting and bartending private events and decided to create a mobile bartending and event service, called 3 oz. Hospitality. My partner and I provided bartending services, training, event services, and staffing for South Florida. We even hosted classes so other bartenders could become licensed. This was something I saw myself continuing to do and implementing it into my future endeavors, which I have. Hopefully in the future, I can evolve this business into opening up my own bar/lounge.
During this time between undergraduate and law school, I shadowed a District Attorney and that experience made it clear to me that if I really wanted to make change, I needed to get up and stand on business. I made a promise to myself that year to go to law school, graduate, become a public defender, and give my all to advocating for the less fortunate so they can receive the service and justice they deserve—diverting from the misconceptions of a public defender—and not to allow my work or effort to equate to people’s perspectives of those who are arrested for allegedly committing offenses. So, that is exactly what I did. I went to law school, at St. Thomas University School of Law, which was a difficult, but rewarding process, and while in law school I held many internships in the criminal sector absorbing as much knowledge and experience as I could.
While in law school, I pledged the Broward Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, where I became lifetime sisters with some amazing individuals, some of whom were attorneys, and also worked in the public sector. Observing alongside them and learning through their experiences and testimonies, further solidified the journey I was on to becoming who I wanted to be, and it fueled me to continue persevering.
After graduating law school, I became a public defender during, in my opinion, the most trying times because it was during the climax and aftermath of COVID. I served as a public defender, defending the people of the community, and although it was taxing on my mental health, it was also very efficacious being able to help those who couldn’t help themselves. A lot of my clients suffered from childhood trauma, mental health, substance abuse, financial illiteracy, familial strains, all factors that, unfortunately, correlate to the position they were in. Although people may have seen them as criminals, I have always seen them as everyday people, just like me.
After some time at the public defender’s office, I wanted to try other areas of law in the civil sector. I knew at some point I wanted to open my own private practice, and I knew I wanted to do more than criminal defense, but I did not know what exactly. I jumped around to about three to four different firms, practicing worker’s compensation, family law, commercial litigation, evictions, contracts, and probate. It was difficult finding a private firm that I felt comfortable enough to call home. As a black female attorney, we make up about 1-2% of the legal community, so although I wanted to be at a firm with like kinds, I quickly had to accept the fact that I couldn’t look for comfort in a firm based on the color of everyone else’s skin. Consequently, I noticed that the part of my confidence that did not come from knowledge, came from my comfort and support in the work environments I was placing myself in. When I saw how difficult it was to find that perfect firm, I took it as a sign to start my own law firm.
With that, I started taking on transactional cases here and there, until two colleagues approached me about partnering up to start a private practice. The three of us started Legally Legendary Law Firm, PLLC. During that time, I expanded my realm and explored my interest in real estate. I have always found enjoyment in real estate and assisting people find a place to call home. This led me to obtaining my real estate license, in 2022. In learning real estate and practicing in the field, I somewhat fell into real estate law and probate, because there were times people were trying to sell homes they inherited via Will or intestate, and title wouldn’t pass until the estate was probated, so I learned how to probate estates, and it naturally became a part of my practice.
In doing real estate in conjunction with law, everything just started to make sense and fall into place. Unfortunately, my partnership firm did not work out, but I chose to perceive it as a blessing from God because thereafter, I became a sole practitioner and recently started my own practice, Palm’s Legal, PLLC, as well as my real estate firm, Palms’ Realty. At Palm’s Legal, PLLC, I practice criminal defense, probate and estate planning, real estate law, and contracts. Regarding my real estate practice, I assist all buyers, sellers, renters, and investors. Additionally, and as of recently, I have been selected to be a General Magistrate for the City of Miami Gardens, so who knows where that may take me…the Honorable Judge Ashanti Palmer has a nice ring to it.
Finally, at the age of 31, everything in life seems to be coming together, and I am loving the person I am becoming. I am growing in my career, becoming closer to God, and thriving in this journey of learning and becoming myself. I am eager and excited to see what the future holds.
I faced many challenges in life, mostly me getting in my own way, due to fear, doubt, impulsiveness, and lack of patience. I’ve been on the other side of the law, which placed a pause in my career development because I began to doubt myself. I became insecure in who I was at the core because I was judging myself based on the things that were happening.
Moreover, law school itself was very challenging for me. I attended a predominantly Hispanic law school, with not many individuals who looked like me. I was new to being graded on a curve, and in a pool of individuals who were just as smart, if not smarter, I had to quickly learn better learning techniques and study habits. Things no longer came easy to me. I had to reset my mentality and really mature in the process. Going to law school was a difficult transition compared to the spontaneously free lifestyle I was living before. Even more difficult was being a black female in the legal field. I feel like the most mistreated person in the world is the black woman, and when you place a black woman in law, it can be overwhelming at times. Having to be mindful of the difference between being passionate, but not over aggressive or too emotional, having to experience the difference in treatment or acceptance between myself and colleagues, having to set the tone in workplace environments and educate the faces of ignorance. As a black attorney in this world, I have always felt as though I am not only fighting for my clients, but I am also fighting for myself.
All in all, however, getting out of my own way and stepping into myself confidently has been the biggest struggle, and as time evolves, I am shedding away from that obstacle little by little. With that, I am hopeful.
There is also no secret that I am a jack of all trades. Even though I am a lawyer and realtor, I still do people’s hair and make-up on the side; I still plan events and curate cocktails; I recently have gotten into baking and conducted a thanksgiving dessert sale, which was a success; and I am a handy girl who thinks I can renovate and DIY anything. A true believer of if there is a will there’s a way, and by “a way”, I mean a way I can do it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.ashantimpalmer.com
- Instagram: @lashellmonique, @Palmslegal, @_Palmsrealty, @3ozHospitality, @Makeaprincess_
