Maria Leonard Olsen is a biracial attorney whose parents were forbidden by law to marry in their home state of Maryland in the 1960s. She practices law as a commercial litigator in the Washington, D.C. area, at the Pels Law Firm, covering a variety of matters, including contract disputes, employment discrimination, and government relations.

Maria is an author, podcaster, journalist, public speaker, and mentor to women in recovery. Her most popular book, 50 After 50: Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life (Rowman & Littlefield 2018 hardcover, 2019 paperback, and audio), has helped thousands of people thrive in midlife.

She has written books on self-care and the new American family. Her children’s books, Mommy Why’s Your Skin So Brown? and Healing for Hallie, have been widely used as teaching vehicles on diversity and the importance of processing feelings. Her next books will be Before and After the DNA Test: A Comprehensive Guide to Privacy, Medical, Legal, and Personal Concerns in the World of Consumer DNA Testing (Bloomsbury 2026) and 60 After 60: Finding Serenity in Your 60s or at Any Age.

On her award-winning podcast, “Becoming Your Best Version,” Maria amplifies the voices of inspiring women each week. Every two years, she publishes an ebook featuring the answers given by her podcast guests to the question, What do you do to become your best version?

Maria graduated from Boston College and the University of Virginia School of Law. She served as a political appointee for legislative affairs and policy development in the Clinton Justice Department, where she helped to design and implement the first government-wide pro bono program, serving as the first Pro Bono Program Manager for the U.S. Department of Justice. She also has fostered newborn babies awaiting adoption, and has been on the boards of Children’s National Medical Center, the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Washington, and other nonprofits.

While in private practice in one of D.C’s then-largest law firms, Dow, Lohnes & Albertson, Maria was awarded Pro Bono Coordinator of the Year by the D.C. Bar Association and, in 2023, was named Distinguished Alumna of the Year by the Academy of the Holy Cross.

She has written for The Washington Post, AARP, Parents Magazine, Washingtonian Magazine, Bethesda Magazine, Authority Magazine, The Midst, Kuel Life, and others, and joined Meer as a monthly contributing writer in 2023.

Maria has spoken at numerous schools and corporate and nonprofit events, including the Pennsylvania Conference for Women, the Mixed Remixed Festival, HerStory Circle, and the National March to End Rape Culture. She delivers workshops on getting published and self-care for busy people, and is a frequent guest on podcasts and at women’s summits. One of her book talks, about her book, Not the Cleaver Family: The New Normal in Modern American Families, was featured on C-Span’s Book TV show.

She spoke at TEDx at the City University of New York on “Turning Life’s Challenges into a Force for Good,” and was featured on the national television show, CBS Sunday Morning, in a segment on bucket lists in 2025. She is excited to speak at TEDx Warrenton on the ramifications of consumer DNAs, including her own DNA test surprise, on October 25, 2025.

She has traveled to 72 countries and strives to see every country, learning about the cultures and expanding her perspectives. Her son is a social media influencer with 20 million followers and was voted TikTok’s Sexiest Man by People Magazine. (See @Chris on TikTok and @ChrisOlsen on Instagram). Her daughter is a social worker based in Chicago, helping to make the world a better place. Learn more at www.MariaLeonardOlsen.com and follow her on social media @FiftyAfter50 and @MariaOlsen49.