Estafany Figueroa | Creating Space for Humanity
Article Written by: Tiffany Anderson
When someone calls the Hispanic Alliance’s resource line, our team immediately jumps in to offer help. From questions about local school systems or learning the ins-and-outs of financial institutions, our team probably has a resource to share. But did you know that more than half of our incoming calls are questions about legal access?
For our team, this percentage of call volume pointed out an access problem for the local Hispanic community in South Carolina. And in 2026, conversations about legal proceedings bring on mixed emotions, with many Latinos fearful of the unknowns in the American legal system.
Estafany “Stef” Figueroa understands the barriers her community faces, both from personal experience and throughout her career. As the Founder and Managing Attorney of Figueroa Law LLC, she handles personal injury cases for clients in South Carolina, Georgia, and Texas.
But before stepping into law school, her path took a different turn — Stef joined the Marine Corps, stationed at Parris Island.
“I learned so much about discipline in the Marines. It’s not something they teach you in law school — you’re expected to kind of just…figure out problems yourself. But in the Marines, you either had what it took, or you didn’t.” Throughout her life, her philosophy was, “Work and you’ll be rewarded for it.” Even when the motivation didn’t exist, Stef found herself leaning into discipline to propel her forward.
After her honorable military retirement, Stef took her energy into law, giving a voice to the people she grew up alongside. It didn’t take long for her to see the legal barriers that existed for the Latino population.
“Honestly, the biggest barrier I encountered was fear. My clients don’t always know how things work here. So, throughout the process, I’m communicating to them the next steps, easing some concerns, like the fear of deportation. A lot of my clients are deeply afraid that someone is going to come after them after they file a claim.” It’s that sentiment that makes communication the most important part of Stef’s job.
In the end, her goal is to make sure her clients know exactly what’s happening in their case. “Full transparency is the only way,” Stef says. She works collaboratively with her clients so that, together, everyone understands the process and what comes next. In tandem with her career, Stef saw some of her other dreams become possible, like starting the South Carolina Hispanic & Latino Bar Association.
When asked why she started the organization, she laughed, “Well, we didn’t have one, and we needed one. That’s it!” Stef mentions how she felt an overwhelming need to find others like her. “I wanted to bring my community of Latinos together; I really wanted to feel connected to other lawyers who understood me.”
In the beginning, it took a lot of email building and teamwork to get it off the ground. “In those early days, everybody said they wanted to help. When it came right down to it, people kinda scattered. I ended up having to hunt some down, but I tried to make the process as painless as possible! In order to get it off the ground, we needed help.” And show up they did — the local community came together to support Stef’s efforts, making the Bar Association what it is today.
When Stef created her law firm, she knew from the beginning that a bilingual team was non-negotiable for her. “I’m not always available for my clients, and I want to make sure my firm can communicate with them if I’m not there. I think it’s important for us to have that sense of communication and community. When my employees have that cultural understanding of who we serve, they’re able to connect with them.”
As a first-generation attorney, Stef was forced to create her own path with no one in front of her to light the way. “I didn’t have a map for any of this; I just had to do it.” Part of this includes her own family’s understanding of legal access. “None of them really understand the process of anything that I do, but to me, they don’t have to. As long as they’re supporting me, that goes a long, long way. My family may not understand how meaningful my career is to me, but it doesn’t mean I can’t share it with them.”
Nicole Cuadrado, Director of Ethics, Compliance, and Social Responsibility, Corporate Counsel at Milliken & Company, credits Stef’s tenacity with creating lasting change.
“Stef's vision and determination, together with the dedication of the founding SCHLBA leadership board, brought together a community of Hispanic and Latino attorneys from across South Carolina and transformed that community into a lasting organization. As the first lawyer in my family, I am especially grateful that future attorneys will have this community, mentorship, and support from the start of their careers.”
For the next generation of Hispanic youth who want to pursue law, Stef’s advice came from the heart: “There’s people who’ve walked before you that can lend a helping hand. Be willing to ask questions and do the work — that’s a huge step in the right direction.”
While reflecting on her role in leading her team, Stef mentioned, “To be very honest, I don’t necessarily think of myself as a leader; I’m not special. I got thrown into starting my own firm and association. But we don’t need people who know how to do it all; we need people to show up and do the work. There are plenty of opportunities out there for us — the more, the merrier.”
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