Attorney at Law Magazine Miami publisher Rhenne Leon sat down with Kira L. Grossman-Gil: of Grossman LeMontang De La Fuente PLLC to discuss her career and her plans for the future in the 2018 Women in Law special issue.
AALM: Did you have any mentors or professors who helped you develop your career?
Kira Grossman-Gil: Attorney Robert Merlin has been a mentor of mine for many years. His passion and desire to do what is right has certainly helped to shape and develop my career to what it is today. He has always steered me in the right direction, informed me of the latest trends in our profession and he actually taught my guardian ad litem course. I am truly thankful to have met him so early on in my career and appreciate all the wisdom he has provided me, even when he didn’t realize he was mentoring me, he was.
AALM: How supportive are fellow women practitioners? How do you personally try to help women following in your career path?
Kira Grossman-Gil: Our South Florida legal community has some of the most outstanding women both in practice and on the bench. I am proud to say that most of my fellow women practitioners are very supportive and lend a helping hand when they see a colleague in need. There are also a handful of all-women networks and social media platforms that provide for the exchange of ideas, concerns and advice that are not only a benefit to our profession but, also to our community at large.
AALM: Tell us something about yourself that people would be surprised to learn.
Kira Grossman-Gil: I was raised by a single father who gave up everything to protect and care for me. I think his personal sacrifices is what ultimately led to my desire to become an attorney. As an attorney, I believe it’s out obligation to help people, especially those who are neglected or disadvantaged. This philosophy is what drives my work with Voices for Children and acting as a guardian ad litem. Hopefully one day, I will be in a position to devote my practice entirely to pro bono guardian work representing children and advocating for their well-being.
AALM: How do you balance your home life and work life?
Kira Grossman-Gil: I have two beautiful young boys at home, so it is incredibly important to me to balance family and work. I recently opened my own firm, my partners and I made sure that we were as technologically advanced as possible so that we can work from anywhere. All our files, and case management software, are cloud based so that we can be at home, or traveling with our families, but still have access to our work. Our technological efforts and our amazing staff help all the attorneys to try to balance servicing the needs of our clients with the needs of our families.
AALM: How are you involved in the legal community and the local community?
Kira Grossman-Gil: I am extremely proud to sit on the board of directors for Voices for Children. Voices for Children helps enable the guardian ad litem program to serve as the “voice” for abused, abandoned, and neglected children by advocating for their best interests in court. It is our goal to help all the children in our foster care system who desperately need champions in their lives.
AALM: What do you enjoy doing outside of work? Hobbies? Sports?
Kira Grossman-Gil: I love being out on the water, which makes having the ocean in our backyard in South Florida a huge plus. I am an avid deep-sea fisherwoman, scuba diver and watersports enthusiast.
AALM: What do you most hope to accomplish in the future?
Kira Grossman-Gil: I think it is incredibly important to give back to our community and to truly help others. One of the best ways people do this is through public service. The most honorable profession, to me, would be to serve on the bench one day. I truly hope that my career will take me down that path and the steps I take each day will prepare me for that service.
AALM: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Kira Grossman-Gil: I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for the assistance and support of my family, friends and mentors. Notably Barbara “Barby” Rodriguez, Lisa Little, Jon Grossman and Ruben Gil have all played an important role in making me the person and attorney I am today. They have taught me patience, love, perseverance and self-respect will always triumph.
