Congratulations to Victoria Howell, our fourth annual David A. Paige Clerk. This is the fourth time the David A. Paige Foundation has funded this paid internship. Victoria served in both our Consumer Housing Public Benefits Unit and our Veterans Hope & Justice Project.
Victoria, like David A. Paige, was born and raised in the West Valley and came to Tucson to attend UA James E. Rogers College of Law. Before coming to Tucson, she graduated summa cum laude from Grand Canyon University with a bachelor’s degree in government with an emphasis in legal studies. Throughout her undergraduate career, Victoria volunteered in the Phoenix area, assisting the underserved and refugee children. Victoria has a passion for serving her community, making law school a natural progression. She intends to graduate in the spring of 2026.
Victoria always knew she wanted to be a public interest law attorney. Growing up, Victoria witnessed her father’s mortgage business battle the 2008 housing crisis and her mother drown in her role as a social worker for the state of Arizona. This highlighted at a young age that life is fragile and all communities need adequate and reliable access to affordable legal services. Motivated to be a part of the solution to assist the people in her community, Victoria dove into her academics, simultaneously graduating high school and earning an associate’s degree at the same time. She subsequently completed her bachelor’s degree in just under two years. Following her bachelor’s degree, Victoria worked at a small private firm in Phoenix, gaining her first glimpse into the legal field. Through the support and motivation of her loved ones, she will be the first attorney in her family.
At SALA this summer, Victoria not only assisted on matters within our housing and Veterans units, she was also introduced to consumer protections, public benefits, and restorative justice. She sharpened her legal research and writing skills in many different areas of law and on a variety of legal issues. Victoria attended hearings, drafted demand letters, spoke with clients directly, assisted on drafts, and provided valuable research. One highlight of Victoria’s summer with SALA was the opportunity to provide a presentation regarding SALA’s continued efforts to assist Veterans in need.
Victoria is eager to begin her second year at the UA College of Law this fall. She will continue to gain practical experience through the Child and Family Law Clinic. This will allow Victoria to assist in matters such as domestic violence victim representation, child protection, contested orders of protection, special education, minor emancipation, divorce, and child custody. She is also excited to take Basic Trial Advocacy with Professor Bergman to gain more knowledge on litigation.
Victoria hopes to use her legal career to knock down barriers to adequate and affordable legal support for anyone in need. She also hopes to motivate systematic change to support these underserved communities.
