Madison D. Gilbert

“My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.” Ruth Bader Ginsburg

On the eve of Hurricane Floyd, my mother rushed to the hospital to give birth, but not before stopping at the office to finalize a few documents for filing on Monday. She never attended law school, but she clerked for a local judge while she was pregnant with me. My great aunt never attended law school either, but she also did administrative work for an attorney. They both worked in the legal field when woman were entering the legal field in high numbers but remained hidden behind the glass ceiling.

My experience in the legal field has been different. In fact, my graduating class in law school was comprised of more women than men. I’ve been taught by just as many female professors as I have male professors. I’ve worked for numerous women in the legal field, including the youngest woman to ever serve on our state supreme court. And, now, I’m starting my legal career at a law firm founded and run by a woman.

My mother never sat me down and told me I should be a lawyer. Rather, she told me I could be anything. The one thing I knew for certain about my dreams and aspirations. I wanted to be part of a support system, just like the women in my family always had been.

In college, I came to a crossroads. I knew I was passionate about helping people and that I could accomplish that goal as a social worker. I also knew that, for many people, the real obstacles they faced were due to pressing legal issues – technicalities you must resolve first before moving forward and creating a new normal.

So I sent myself to law school and thrived there. I served on the leadership teams for two student organizations: Family Law Society and Women in Law. I had the opportunity to clerk for and learn from judges on both of our state’s highest courts. I mentored upcoming students. And most importantly, law school instilled in me that good lawyers break down complex problems and great lawyers leave people better than they found them. I can do both.

Since 2021, in addition to my work related to traditional family law issues, I’ve also been involved in various roles regarding reproductive healthcare advocacy. This work has expanded my perspective and expanded my advocacy. Loud voices can make some problems feel insurmountable, but underneath the noise are people dedicated to finding solutions rooted in empathy and compassion. I’ve never needed to have the loudest voice in the room. Instead, people listen when I speak because they know I’ve chosen my words carefully, thoughtfully and with intention. Ultimately, I’m the person who will drown out the noise, focus on the root of the problem, and work to find a solution.

My goal in representing clients is to ensure you feel heard and empowered throughout a process that can evoke the opposite. The legal system is just that: a system. It can be imperfect and impersonal. My job is to make sure you feel whole while navigating the system in your favor.

Family, to me, is everything. It’s listening to J Cole songs to appreciate my brother’s favorite artist before forcing him to edit his college admissions essay. It’s picking up the phone to call my mom after a long day, not only because I care but also because a little exhaustion never stopped her! Pursuing family law is natural because I want to show up for people the same way I would for my family. I like making hard problems easier to understand and manage. I like lessening burdens, the heavier the better! I enjoy advocating. And I plan on being just as visible in the courtroom as my mom and aunt always were to me.