Meet Denisse Gastélum of Gastélum Law, APC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Denisse Gastélum.

Hi Denisse, 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?
Thank you for inviting me to share my story, VoyageLA.  As you know, I am a lawyer, specifically a civil rights attorney.  My trajectory is a bit different because being a lawyer wasn’t really a dream of mine as a kid.  Frankly, it wasn’t until my 4th year at UCLA that I had the epiphany that would alter the rest of my life.

A little bit of background to understand the significance of that epiphany. I was born in East Los Angeles, California into an immigrant family. From preschool through the middle of the second grade, my primary language was Spanish. In those days, parents had the option of not introducing the English language into their children’s curriculum until the middle of grade school to ensure fluency in their native tongue. Before I had the opportunity of being introduced to the English language curriculum, my father moved our family to the suburbs. The teachers at my new school misidentified a language barrier with a learning disability. Luckily, my father stood up for me and promised the school that I’d learn English over the summer. I still remember that summer. I must have read Hansel and Gretel a hundred times until the word “ta-he” seamlessly rolled off my tongue as “the.” That experience shaped the person I would become. It also shaped the profession I believed I wanted to go into: school psychology.

Fast forward 13 years later, I was a 4th year at UCLA. I had just taken my GRE for master’s programs I was interested in. But something was beginning to change inside me. I was fascinated with classes that spoke to issues dealing with race, gender, SES. Kozol’s Savage Inequalities became an obsession. I was also a tutor for Spanish-speaking high school students who had recently immigrated to the U.S. They were smart. They were engaged. And they were determined to survive in America. That survival, though, came at a cost. Some were exploited by factories. Others experienced the death of siblings at the hands of law enforcement. Those experiences lit a fire in me. I recall driving back to UCLA and asking my best friend to meet me in the middle of campus to share an epiphany I had: it was law school that would provide me with the necessary tools to make the type of change I wanted to make in communities of color. That evening, I signed up for the LSAT.

Fast forward 17 years, I am the founder and lead trial lawyer at Gastélum Law, APC. This is my legacy. The importance of laying the foundation for our own legacies is something we don’t talk about enough. Your ancestors didn’t come this far for you to get this far. Believe me, it’s tough. There are days when there’s so much anxiety and discomfort from this new, vulnerable world you find yourself in. But that’s when you need to look fear in the eyes until the fear fears you. Eres Imparable. Remember that. What’s your legacy?

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I reflect back on the path I set out for myself twenty years ago, I see that path as one with many challenges and obstacles but also one that has beautifully shaped the person who I am today.  The greatest challenge I have experienced is believing in myself with full confidence and faith in my abilities, intellect and drive.  I would tell the readers to never underestimate the Power behind believing in yourself. With this Power comes a consummate fortitude that will get you through your most trying and testing days. This is the same fortitude that our ancestors relied on for hundreds of years when they dreamed and hoped for you… yes, you. As you continue down this arduous and not-so-linear legal path we at times find ourselves in, I encourage you to keep doing hard things because where your greatest discomfort lies is where your largest opportunity lives. Eres Imparable.

As you know, we’re big fans of Gastélum Law, APC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Thank you!  And I, too, am a big fan of VoyageLA.  As you now, I am the founder and lead trial attorney at Gastélum Law, APC, where my civil rights practice focuses primarily on police shootings and in-custody death cases, representing plaintiffs in state and federal courts throughout the State of California.  A lot of folks don’t really know this, but I previously worked as a defense attorney, where I specialized in public entity defense. This experience provides me with the unique ability to analyze a case from both a defense and a plaintiff’s perspective.  I have found over the years that this defense background has made me an effective litigator and trial attorney.

I also take great pride in the various leadership positions I have held within the Los Angeles legal community.  I am a proud Past President of the Latina Lawyers Bar Association and the Mexican American Bar Association. I am the current President of the California La Raza Lawyers Association (CLRLA) and currently serve on the Board of Directors of the ACLU of Southern California (ACLU SoCal), National Police Accountability Project (NPAP), Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA), Consumers Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), and the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC). She received her B.A. from UCLA and her J.D. from Loyola Law School.

Over the years, I have been blessed to be invited as a speaker on various panels regarding the practice of law and career advice. I have also been very fortunate in the accolades I have received from my peers.  In 2023 and 2022, I was recognized as a Super Lawyer. In 2022, I was a recipient of the Street Fighter of the Year Award by the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) for my role on the litigation team behind the Alarcio v. County of Los Angeles federal civil rights action, which resulted in the largest jail-death related settlement against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. In 2021, I was recognized by the Hispanic National Bar Association as a Top Lawyers Under 40 Award recipient. In 2020, I was recognized as being Top 40 Under 40 and Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers.  Again, all things I am proud of and humbly reflect back on.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I see my role as a civil rights attorney as a vital one in society, particularly given the current United States Supreme Court and the many challenges their rulings and decisions have had on vulnerable communities, including communities of color and immigrant communities.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gastelumfirm.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisse_gastelum_esq/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gastelumlawapc
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/dgastelum