Crystal D. Kesler

Connect To Top Home About Voyage ATL Voyage ATL FAQs Privacy & Terms of Service Submit a story idea Trending ATLs Most Inspiring Stories Portraits of Atlanta Hidden Gems: Local Businesses & Creatives You Should Know ATLs Most Inspiring Stories A Dancers Strength Choosing an Epic Path Seasons of Love The Atlanta Nightlife Guide Everyones Talking About August 18, 2020 Meet Crystal Kesler of CKesler Law and The Love Project 404 in South Atlanta Local Stories Share Tweet Pin Today wed like to introduce you to Crystal Kesler. Crystal, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today? Ive always been a competitive person so it was destined that I would end up in a very competitive field. I have been playing sports since the age of six. I played basketball, baseball, soccer, and ran track, but my first love has always been basketball. I was afforded a full division 1 basketball scholarship to Belmont University. Unfortunately, my collegiate career and any hopes for a future in basketball ended my junior year after my 5th knee surgery. After hearing the news that I wouldnt be released to return to the game, I was devastated. At that time, I was in a business law course with an adjunct professor that was helping out in a case that occurred in my hometown, less than 5 minutes from my grandmothers home. He would allow discussion concerning the case during the last few minutes in the class. Throughout the semester, I never agreed with his analysis and often expressed such. This particular day was no different. It didnt help that I was emotionally drained from the bad news concerning basketball. After about 10 minutes of him and I going back and forth the class was dismissed. As I packed up, he asked if I had ever considered becoming a lawyer. I hadnt. I left class that day and my mom called to comfort me about the news. She encouraged me to keep my head up and that I would figure out what my next move would be. Without thinking I said, yea I think Im just going to go to law school. And, once I said it, I had to make it happen. In the fall of 2012, I became a law student at Georgia State University College of Law and in 2015, I graduated with highest distinction in pro bono hours. I have spent the last five years practicing law in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2017 and 2018, I was the Vice President of Technology for the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys. In 2019, at the age of 29, I was selected as the National Black Lawyers Top 40 under 40. Always willing to run towards an opportunity to serve, when I am not working, I mentor law students and young attorneys as well as serve as judge for numerous mock trial competitions to enrich the legal minds of tomorrow. Great, so lets dig a little deeper into the story - has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges youve had to overcome? No. I definitely struggled along the way. I graduated law school without a full-time job. I was fortunate enough to have an amazing mentor who provided me with some part-time legal work while I looked, but it was a tough time. I spent the first year after graduating jumping from one dead-end job to the next. It was awful. Once I finally found my footing at a midsize insurance defense firm, I thought the struggle was over. I was wrong. As soon as I solved the issue of having a good legal job, I was reminded that I entered into a field where I would be a triple minority. I was often the youngest, the only woman, and the only African American in the room and far too often, it was made known. To combat these things that I could not change, I became determined to learn all there was to learn about the practice of law so that I could be the best at my craft. They could attempt to undermine me based upon my age, race or gender, but my work ethic and ability to advocate for my clients would speak for itself. Alright - so lets talk business. Tell us about CKesler Law and The Love Project 404 - what should we know? CKesler Law is a firm dedicated to lawyering the right way. We handle personal injury matters such as motor vehicle accidents, slip and falls, and premise liability cases. We also represent employees in employment discrimination and wage and hour matters. Further, we defend small businesses in employment matters such as wage and hour and contract disputes, as well as advise them on proper employment practices. I have defended corporations, businesses, insurance companies, and their insureds in hundreds of personal injury, property damage, premise liability, contract disputes, employment discrimination and wage and hour matters in every facet of the litigation process; including trial. I take that invaluable knowledge of having been on the other side of the case defending civil litigants into my current practice of representing individuals in similar cases. Law is a game a chess not checkers, and I stand apart by already knowing their next move. CKesler Law is most proud of the integrity it brings to the legal profession. In June 2020, I became the Chief Operating Officer of The Love Project 404, a nonprofit dedicated to providing a voice to the voiceless by helping the underprivileged through our Bailout and Family Sponsorship initiatives. Through our bailout initiatives, we bail out individuals with bail who continue to sit in jail merely because of their inability to pay. We are there when they are released and we continue to provide post-release resources such as pretrial diversion programs, toiletries, and job opportunities. Through our family sponsorship initiative, each month we financially sponsor families who may be suffering from financial hardships. Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success? Preparation, hard work, and confidence. Law is a risky business, and there is often a winner and loser, but to win you have to prepare, work hard, and have confidence in your preparedness and abilities to do the work. Pricing: FREE 30 minute consultations upon request. Info: Address: 3645 Marketplace Blvd. Suite 130-497 Atlanta, Georgia 30344 Website: CKeslerlaw.com Phone: 470-371-6408 Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://instagram.com/cklawga Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/CKesler Law/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/cklawga Image Credit: The Love Project 404, Dane Darden Suggest a story: Voyage ATL is built on recommendations from the community; its how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here. Related Items Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * document.get Element ById(comment).set Attribute( id, a095d198d34e2b47ad1851810e37ca90 );document.get Element ById(bd5b7a486e).set Attribute( id, comment );Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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