Women in Law: Cathleen Lockhart

Cathleen Lockhart, BSN, JD

Lockhart Law Firm PC

Everyone has a story, and I am passionate about my client’s story primarily because of my experience. Born and raised in a small, poor rural community outside El Paso, Texas, by two blue-collar working parents, I was encouraged to be a nurse or a teacher as you can always help someone. For the majority of my young life, my father was chronically ill and bedridden, so my mother was the sole provider and decision-maker for my father’s medical choices. Watching my mother and father struggle with the daily decisions of a chronic illness made me aware of a healthcare system that was complicated. I decided that nursing school was the natural choice for me to understand the system and to be able to support families in crisis. I saw the health care system as a way for me to help families, and it was a natural fit for me. As many young people do, working two or three jobs to attend school was necessary and taught me organization and time management. 

I was licensed as a registered nurse in 1978, and I loved working in the hospital. I enjoyed meeting families and working with patients that had devastating injuries. It was very rewarding to watch patients overcome obstacles that initially appeared insurmountable. Moving up the career ladder into Risk Management for a large hospital corporation, I realized that a lot of families needed legal help after being critically injured. Working as a Risk Manager, I had an “aha” moment when I met an elderly lady that was neglected and severely crippled. Law school was the next path. Licensed as an attorney in 1998, I have had the opportunity to meet, work with, and help incredible people. Passion and empathy for the injured and the rights of the families devastated by negligence are the driving force that keeps me going. 

I have two wonderful children, and I am a grandmother of four, counting my deceased sister’s child that I consider my grandchild. Family is the most important force in my life as the sun begins to set on my life. Everyone has a story.