Melba Pearson shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Melba, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I’m a chronic insomniac, so my mornings often depend on how the night went before. Usually, I scan my emails, then read the news – national, international, local, and then the local news for whatever cities I’m doing work in. This allows me to figure out trends, and make sure any initiatives I’m involved in have the most up to date advice/information. After that, on a good day I’m headed to yoga or pilates before diving into the workday in earnest.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi! I am Melba Pearson – attorney, advocate, educator, legal content creator, and consultant. I wear a number of hats that allow me to work on a wide variety of projects – all with the goal of empowering people and communities. My main role is at Florida international University, where I am the Director of Prosecution Projects at the Jack D Gordon Institute for Public Policy as well as a co-manager for the Prosecutorial Performance Indicators. This work allows me to partner with prosecutors’ offices around the country to make our criminal justice system more transparent through the use of data, so that people can decide what is working and what is not. Additionally, my firm, MVP Law, allows me to advise nonprofits on criminal justice/civil rights strategies, work with families who have been impacted by crime, and provide consulting, as well as crisis management and community engagement strategies for my clients. Lastly, I have a vlog podcast as the Resident Legal Diva, that can be found on YouTube. Education is the common theme through all of it – I teach at several colleges including FIU; do trainings for prosecutors, law-enforcement and community; and the public at large through my social media platforms and appearances on various shows by providing legal analysis on various cases. I am a former homicide prosecutor in Miami, so all of these issues are very close to my heart and are my life’s mission.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
Hands-down, that would be my mentor Chadd Lackey. He was my first supervisor as a young prosecutor, and he taught me everything I know about the courtroom. However, he also taught me how to be a good supervisor and mentor. He led with humbleness, and was willing to get into the trenches to help you figure something out. I have tried to model this in all my interactions with people I supervise and/or mentor. It’s OK not to know the answer, and there’s so much to be learned by being vulnerable and rolling up your sleeves to help someone on their journey.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
I think wounds would be a strong word for it – more like when things did not go as planned. There are two instances that come to mind – first, failing the bar exam, and second, losing the race for Miami Dade state attorney. Failing the bar exam was my first big personal/professional hiccup. It also changed the trajectory of my life. It made me question whether or not I really wanted to be an attorney, and for five years, I worked in entertainment, event planning, and public relations. It was fun, exciting, but no real opportunity for growth and the full utilization of my potential. When I finally passed the bar and started practicing, the skills that I had learned during that time set me apart from other attorneys. In some ways, it made me a unicorn, lol. But this understanding of people and community allows me to organize and relate in ways that other attorneys can’t.
Losing the race for state attorney was a hard one. It’s difficult to pour your heart and soul into something that you truly believe in and it not work out in the way that you had hoped. However, that experience made me so much stronger, broadened my platform, and allowed me to have a powerful national as well as international voice on criminal justice and social issues. Ironically, it’s given me much more gratification, impact and success than had I won – things always work out for a reason! That was my biggest lesson.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely! What you see is what you get with me. When I speak out on an issue, it’s not for likes, clicks, or just to rattle cages for fun. I speak because there is a serious problem that is causing harm to people or vital systems that support people. I live a blessed life, but I’m not one to constantly post about it, that’s not my thing. No shade on those that do! I just choose to use my platform to give my perspective on present day issues, with just enough humor, and sarcasm. 😊
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
My hope is that people would say that she cared. “She truly cared.— about people, communities, issues.”
That “she gave it her all.”
That whatever task I took on, I gave it 110% until it was achieved or could no longer move forward.
That “I am a better person because she was in my life.”
Whether it be through friendship, family, mentoring, or just connecting – the ability to leave a lasting positive impact is something that I aim to do on a daily basis.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.melbapearsonesq.com
- Instagram: @resident_legal_diva
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/melbapearsonesq
- Facebook: Melba Pearson
- Youtube: @ResidentLegalDiva
