Growing up next to a courthouse in Queens, Barbara Lucas would often watch with admiration the attorneys making their way into the building each day to ply their trade. Her grandfather, meanwhile, was a lawyer in Brazil, where both of her parents were born. During her frequent trips to South America as a child, Barbara often found herself fascinated by the people who would come to her grandfather’s office. They triggered in her a curiosity about the law, which was instrumental in inspiring her to eventually follow in her grandfather’s footsteps.

“I grew up essentially just always wanting to be an attorney. I knew it was an honorable career,” said Barbara, a Garden City-based partner in Goldberg Segalla’s Workers Compensation practice group.

In high school, she participated in mock trials, joined the model United Nations and became active in student government as way to further expose herself to both the world of law and public speaking. Her passion carried over into college, where she studied pre-law and interned at a Midtown Manhattan firm and for a member of the state assembly. Each step seemed a confirmation of her interest in the legal profession — a career for which she almost seemed pre-destined.

But as Barbara will tell you, none of it would have been possible had it not been for her mother, who was not part of the legal world at all.

“I’ve never seen someone with so much drive and natural intelligence. Honestly, I can say without her push, I couldn’t have gone through the numerous hurdles and difficulties that I went through throughout my legal career,” Barbara said. “Especially applying to law school, getting through college, I couldn’t have done it without her help.”

Now seven years into her career, Barbara’s practice focuses primarily on representing insurance carriers, employers and third-party administrators in a variety of complex workers’ compensation claims and defending clients in all stages of litigation, from inception to appeal.

“My approach to working with clients is to understand their challenges. Building trust with clients is so crucial to relationships. It requires constant communication with the client. I give that personalized attention that clients desire,” she said. “It really is about that personalized approach. So, it’s a matter of knowing what clients want and giving them what they want in the best manner.”

Helping Barbara ensure she successfully meets her clients’ needs is Goldberg Segalla’s unique approach toward handling Workers’ Compensation cases.

“I think what really sets us apart from most firms is the fact that we dedicate an attorney for an entire file — from inception to the end,” said Barbara. “There are some things that you just learn from handling every aspect of the claim, as opposed to just reading through transcripts. You get to know the case in and out. The client profits. I personally think that it is a strategy that’s unmatched.”

Barbara noted an added bonus in Goldberg Segalla’s service to its clients is that they also have access to more than 450 attorneys with vast expertise in a wide range of legal areas

“We have industry leaders in every single practice group,” she said. “In my personal workers’ compensation matters, I’ll pull in someone from the general liability team, or someone from the employment team, and we all work together. That can assist in making not only the best result, but from an overall perspective, it’ll be the best decision for the carrier and the employer from all aspects.”

After all, she said, each client is different when it comes to how they want their case litigated. Perspectives vary, not everyone sees situations the same. It’s a lesson Barbara learned at an early age.

“Both my parents are from Brazil. I grew up going to Brazil almost every summer and it definitely had a major impact.” she said. “You realize not everyone thinks the same. Without that exposure, I think I would truly be a different person.”

As the daughter of parents from Latin America who spoke Portuguese, Barbara did not learn to speak English until she started school. She identifies as Latina, a population in the legal profession that remains disproportionately low. Latinx attorneys, for example, represented only 2.86 percent of all partners in 2021, increasing slightly to 2.97 percent the next year, Barbara said.

“It’s a growth, but it’s a very slow growth. Essentially, we’re looking for more representation. The bigger the community, the better it will be for everyone.”

Mindful of the fact the Latinx community is underrepresented in legal profession, Barbara’s career is not one she takes for granted.

“Getting into the legal field is being probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s easily the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “Being an attorney to me is truly a privilege. It truly is an honorable career.”

Recalling again her mother’s influence, Barbara said “you can’t wait for something to happen to you. You have to actively take steps to pursue your dream.

“The most important thing,” she said, “is to love what you do.”