Feliz A. Rael concentrates her practice in nursing abuse and neglect, personal injury, and guardianship and conservatorship proceedings. She has also represented children, the elderly and the disabled and their families in cases against other state-regulated facilities. Ms. Rael is a member of the American Association for Justice, the AAJ Nursing Home Litigation group and the New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association. 

 

Feliz Angelica Rael grew up in Taos, New Mexico.  She attended the prestigious Armand Hammer United World College in Montezuma, New Mexico, where she received her International Baccalaureate.  She was then admitted to Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, where she majored in Political Science and spent a semester travelling throughout India studying political and economic development.

 

Wanting to come back home to be near family, Feliz moved back to New Mexico in 2001. While she was in law school at the University of New Mexico, Feliz served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Martha Vazquez in federal court and served as a bill analyst for the New Mexico legislature.  She was selected to serve as Lead Articles Editor of the Natural Resources Journal and completed coursework to achieve a Certificate in Natural Resources Law.

 

Upon graduating from law school, Feliz was a law clerk for the Honorable James J. Wechsler of the New Mexico Court of Appeals for the 2001-2002 term.  Before joining a personal injury firm, Feliz was a defense lawyer for the railroads, aggressively litigating cases involving serious injuries and death.  While a defense lawyer, she frequently litigated insurance coverage issues as well as the implications of federal regulations.  

 

Feliz is admitted to practice in the State of New Mexico as well as the United States District Court of the District of New Mexico.  

 

The Law Office of Feliz A. Rael is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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Committees and Organizations:

 

Member, Board of Directors, New Mexico Guardianship Assoc. (NMGA), 2016-2019

• NMGA Board President, 2019

• Co-Chair of Legislative Subcommittee, 2017-2020

 

Member, Board of Directors, Senior Citizen’s Law Office (SCLO), 2020-Present

• SCLO Board President-Elect, 2020

 

Member, New Mexico Trial Lawyers Assoc. (NMTLA), 2006 – Present

• Member, NMTLA Board of Directors, 2019 – Present

 

Member, American Association for Justice (AAJ), 2006-Present

• Member, AAJ Nursing Home Litigation Group, 2006-Present

 

Member, Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults Taskforce, 2020

• Co-Chair, Criminal Subcommittee

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Ellen Leitzer graduated from the Emory University School of Law in 1974 and began her career as an ACLU of Georgia staff attorney. Subsequently she joined ACLU’s national staff as coordinator of its Reproductive Freedom Project. Ellen moved to New Mexico in 1978 to join the staff of the National Indian Youth Council and litigated religious freedom cases with NIYC’s other staff attorney, Susan Tomita. In 1983 Ellen co-founded and, for the next 22 years, served as managing director of the Senior Citizens’ Law Office, Inc. (SCLO).  In 2005 Ellen moved to Washington, D.C. where she directed a Medicare project for Families USA, a national consumer health advocacy organization.  Subsequently Ellen worked on health and human rights issues in Nepal and Cambodia, and taught business English to senior government officials in Burundi. In 2011 Ellen returned to New Mexico and opened a private practice that focused on elder law issues. On June 1, 2013 Ellen returned to SCLO as Executive Director. Ellen has provided legal services, education and systemic advocacy to thousands of New Mexico seniors. She has also authored several New Mexico laws that benefit seniors and other vulnerable populations.

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