Meet Antoinette Naddour, Esq., LLM

We had the good fortune of connecting with Antoinette Naddour, Esq., LLM and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Antoinette, how do you think about risk?
Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career?

Growth is borne out of risk, the reward we all desire. It comes in the form of financial success, lessons learned, and other benefits, both direct and indirect, some anticipated, and others not.

Risk is present in our daily lives in varying degrees. Whether it is getting in your car and driving down the interstate, or contemplating a business merger, all risk should afford an opportunity, and be studied and measured to promote a favorable outcome.

I am prone to taking calculated risks. Opportunities excite me and growth drives me. Not to say that fear is not a factor in any great risk or alive in the back of my mind, but it is tempered by education and due diligence.

In 2014, I embarked on a journey to start the Veterans Legal Institute, a nonprofit legal aid that provides free legal services to low-income US military veterans. After developing a business plan, I reached out to multiple stakeholders in the community and solicited feedback. Each meeting represented an opportunity to obtain advice while also seeing if I could sell the value of the idea to a small segment of the population. Feedback varied, but overall, while there was a general appreciation for the void in free legal services for our heroes in need, and the imminence to alleviate veteran homelessness and eradicate veteran suicide, almost every person I approached warned me of the difficulty of attracting funding for such a hard-to-market idea. Several bright minds cautioned me of the challenge in articulating to funders the importance of legal services in promoting veteran well-being. One nonlawyer stakeholder described it best when he said, “why would someone homeless need legal services? I would rather invest my limited dollars into blankets or service animals.”

I quickly realized that being a zealous advocate for veterans wasn’t enough- I would have to paint a clear and convincing picture of how access to justice promotes the overall health and standard of living of the low-income veteran population. I would have to share the economical and long-term value of how having an attorney who removes the legal burdens off a veterans’ shoulders would allow the veteran and his or her family to have the energy and clarity to flourish in other areas and ultimately become self sufficient.

This uphill battle caused me pause and to pivot my approach. I began to reach out to people from a human stand point as opposed to a legal standpoint. I shared stories about how VLI has provided free legal services to dozens of veteran survivors of military sexual trauma and helped them receive their benefits so they are now able to access healthcare, have an improved economic state, and restore their dignity. The pre-due diligence lawyer in me would have described the epic legal journey against the military board, the legal brief thicker than your college journal, or the intimidating appearance before the board arguing my position. Now, I focus more on the human element: getting and keeping veterans and their families safely housed, preventing veteran suicide, and ultimately restoring hope and cohesion to veterans and their families.

Ultimately, I continue to take calculated risks in both life in business. With regards to Veterans Legal Institute, and in line with the idea that “opportunities excite me and growth drives me”, the risk was worth the reward. I’ve grown from my decision to invest a significant amount of time and effort in launching the Veterans Legal Institute over 10 years ago, hoping that if it was truly a meaningful project, the community would fall in line with my vision. Today VLI boasts a staff of 28 and has provided life changing support to over 10,000 veterans and their families. It has been a rollercoaster of emotion and hard work, but overall, the sweat and sleepless nights have served to create a pillar in the veteran community that has saved lives and empowered our military families.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am very proud of my family and their inspiring example, which served as a platform for my own growth. My immigrant parents raised four children with a strong work ethic and gratitude for opportunities that don’t exist in other countries. Mindful of these blessings, I always dreamed to grow my family and have a profession where I could contribute to society and help lift up others. After law school and having two sons, I joined the AmeriCorps as an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow where I had the opportunity to serve vulnerable populations at a local legal aid. After developing a foundation in legal aid, I felt called to create Veterans Legal Institute, a nonprofit wholly dedicated to veterans with a military culturally competent staff to provide quality services pro bono. While the story is laced with elements of romanticism, there has been no shortage of sweat or struggle. Each day provided new challenges on multiple levels. There were seasons where we took one step forward and two steps back, and I had to buy a proverbial new pair of shoes to continue onward. Despite all trials and tribulations, VLI has grown to serve thousands of veterans and, outside of its staff, has built a volunteer tribe who provide more than 10,000 hours of service each year.

One of the greatest lessons I learned is to be smart enough to know what you’re great at, and smart enough to find experts in the areas where you are lacking. Letting go of what can be delegated can be hard for founders, but it allows us to focus and hone in our energy and expertise on what we do best. Challenges are part of the journey towards growth and success and must be handled face first with calm, integrity and grit.

While I cannot say that my personal or professional journeys have been easy, they have certainly been exciting and fulfilling and I continue to grow along the way. I am blessed to have a tribe of supporters including my colleagues at Veterans Legal institute who are the heartbeat of the organization, my family, friends, and clients who are a daily reminder of the beauty in life and career.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Southern California is a vibrant scene with amazing places to eat, drink, and play.

For a day of sightseeing, visit the Old Mission in San Juan Capistrano. If you’re there at the right time of year, you might see the swallows and can walk along the train tracks and discover some old California history. From there, lunch at the Olive’s Branch in San Juan Capistrano which has the world’s best homemade baklava ice cream. For a bit of presidential history, you might stop by the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, an incredible local landmark. Southern California also boasts a number of beautiful beaches where you can spend the day lounging. Some of my favorites are Laguna, Newport and Huntington Beach.

For health and wellness, take a trip to Next Level Wellness Center in Irvine which is co-owned by a purple heart veteran and provides overall holistic services including full gym, jiu jitsu, massage, chiropractic, physical therapy, cryotherapy, and more. If you’re in the mood for a day of prayer and meditation, quiet time, scenery and devotion, consider visiting the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family Convent and Prayer House in La Cresta. You need to call ahead but it’s always a treat to meet with the Sisters and learn about their way of living.

For evening time, you can get your laughs in at the Brea or Irvine Improv. Both locations are surrounded by a multitude of dining establishments.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am fortunate to have the opportunities that I have come across, and want to shine a light on my parents George and Sonia for providing me a strong and safe foundation, my sons, George and Pierre, for my passion, God for my strength, and the US military and those who serve our great nation for my freedom. I am grateful to the most beautifully diverse institution in our great nation, and the men and women who selflessly serve and support it: the United States Military. It is an honor and pleasure to pay it forward through my life’s work at the Veterans Legal Institute.

Website: VetsLegal.org

Instagram: vetslegalOC

Linkedin: veteranslegalinstitute and Antoinette Naddour

Twitter: veteranslegalinstitute

Facebook: Veterans Legal Institute

Youtube: Veterans Legal Institute