By SHELLEY HANSON

WHEELING — As chief legal counsel for The Health Plan, Jamie Leary’s work days are different every day of the week.

“As in-house counsel, I have a single client, but I assist with many different types of matters, including contracts, litigation, and compliance,” she said. “As a result, I have the opportunity to work with many different people in different departments of The Health Plan.”

Leary realized the law was her calling while working at a bank while pursuing her degree.

“Before graduating from Marshall University, I worked part-time at First Huntington National Bank,” she said. “After working in the loan department, as a bank teller, and in customer service at the bank, I really enjoyed law school classes in areas of the law that involved regulatory compliance.

“When I started as an associate at Goodwin Procter, LLP, a law firm in Boston, they agreed that I could spend my first six months working in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act/Employee Benefits Department before spending six months in the Trusts and Estates Department. I enjoyed ERISA work so much that I joined that department without ever working elsewhere.”

Leary, 52, has been with The Health Plan for 2.5 years.

Prior to that, she was a partner on the ERISA and Employee Benefits team at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC.

Leary believes one of the Ohio Valley’s bright spots is its hard working residents.

“The Ohio Valley is fortunate to have really smart, talented, interesting people who are here because they want to be here,” she said. “Whether they were born here or found their way here later, these are folks who want to see our local communities thrive.”

For example, as a working mom Leary was glad to have a good school to send her children to.

“I was grateful that Paula Sikora started the Sikora Montessori School where our son Owen went before elementary school,” she said. “Both of our children had some really wonderful teachers, including people like Lynette Pellarin at Steenrod Elementary and Bill Cornforth who, of course, is well known for his incredible success with the Speech and Debate team and Theater Department at Wheeling Park High School.

“But there are many people in many professions here in the Ohio Valley who show the same high level of skill set, energy, and dedication.”

Leary’s philosophy on life is, “Work hard, be kind, and treat others the way you would want to be treated.”

Leary sees the future of law as a profession in the Ohio Valley as one that will continue to grow.

“More than half of all law students nationwide are women, and as a profession, we have done a good job supporting women as they begin their careers,” she said.

“We need to support and encourage women in their obtaining partnership, management, judicial, and executive positions without permitting the pursuit of family life to be an obstacle to their success.”

Leary advises young women interested in the law to invest their time and attention in working hard and learning as much as they can about it.

“Find people who will cheer for your success, just as you do for them. Success, in work and in life, is best shared as a community,” she said.

Leary and her husband, Brendan, have been married for 26 years.

They have two children together.

“Our daughter Katherine, age 23, graduated from Wellesley College, is completing a fellowship with the Episcopal Church, and is headed to graduate school,” she said.

“Our son Owen, age 20, is a sophomore at Denison University. Both are proud graduates of Wheeling Park High School.

“I could not be more proud of our children. I am honored to be their mom and nothing brings me more happiness.”

Leary has served as treasurer for the Wheeling Symphony Auxiliary and as treasurer for the Viennese Winter Ball Committee. She was involved in supporting the arts and athletics at Triadelphia Middle School and Wheeling Park High School.

“The level of dedication shown by the people involved in these organizations is impressive, and the work is for such great causes,” she noted. “I am also a member of First Presbyterian Church in Wheeling.”