Melissa Deleon

Melissa Deleon has dedicated her legal career to representing victims of injuries and advocating for individuals with special needs and disabilities. Within her first year of practice, she helped recover a policy limits settlement in a contested-liability wrongful death case on behalf of a family who tragically lost their son in a shooting. Years later, she is an involved supporter of the nonprofit formed in memory of the victim, the Pugal Foundation, with a mission of enriching the lives of youth through involvement in artistic and creative programs. 

Deleon is serving her second term as president of Filipino American Lawyers of San Diego. Since 2012, she has been a director for Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego. This year, she was appointed to the administration committee of the National Filipino American Lawyers Association and represented FALSD at the NFALA annual conference in Arizona earlier this year.

In 2014, Deleon became a member and volunteer for the Filipino American Association for Developmental Disabilities. She coordinated a free workshop for members on conservatorships and special needs trusts and presented a seminar on protections for individuals with developmental disabilities.  Working with her mentor and co-counsel, Randy Rechs, she litigated and obtained a six-figure settlement on behalf of a disabled individual in an action for neglect against a caretaker.

Deleon was raised in San Diego and is a graduate of California Western School of Law and San Diego State University, where she earned her degree in journalism with a minor in English. She uses her journalism background as a contributing writer for The Filipino Press, covering events such as the National Association of Women Judge’s Informed Voters Project and inaugural reception for San Diego’s first Philippine Honorary Consulate General.

Deleon’s community service includes volunteering for a local organization that promotes literacy in impoverished areas in the Philippines, mentoring  law students and college students, and volunteering for Girls Think Tank, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting homeless individuals. As a result of her service, the San Diego County Bar Association recognized Deleon with the annual “Outstanding Service by a New Lawyer” award in April.

Her other 2014 accolades include recognition as a top  “Young Influential”  by The Daily Transcript, San Diego Business Journal’s “Best of The Bar” finalist for personal injury litigation, and, most recently, a winner of the “Emerging Leaders: 25 in their 20s” award, recognizing up-and-coming leaders in San Diego.