By: Lela Garcia, VLP Legal Intern, BA in Law, UA
Integrity, honesty, and genuineness. The top three qualities that Southern Arizona Legal Aid’s (“SALA”) March 2022 Volunteer of the Month Award recipient, Sesaly Stamps, finds most important in an attorney. Qualities that Sesaly exemplifies herself.
Every month, Southern Arizona Legal Aid’s (“SALA”) Volunteer Lawyers Program (“VLP”) recognizes a legal professional for their legal volunteerism. The award is a distinct honor. Out of the 533 attorneys and paralegals who volunteer their time, twelve are recognized annually for their dedication to access to justice.
Originally from Massachusetts, Sesaly moved to the Southwest in hopes of escaping the harsh east coast winters. She soon found a place to call home in Tucson, Arizona, where she completed both her undergraduate degree and J.D. at the University of Arizona. As an undergraduate, Sesaly was a high-achieving student, who was interested in the social sciences. She graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Following her graduation, Sesaly worked at a local domestic violence center in Tucson, which helped influence her decision to attend law school. Sesaly found it especially rewarding to work with directly impacted individuals in her community, and law school seemed like the perfect fit for her.
While attending law school at James E. Rogers, Sesaly discovered that employment and education law were truly a calling of hers. During the summer of her 2L year, Sesaly clerked for her current firm and also attended an education law class, taught by one of her current firm partners, her 3L year. When she graduated, she worked as a judicial clerk for two years before transitioning to private practice.
Sesaly started working at her current firm, Deconcini, McDonald, Yetwin & Lacy and has been there since 2009. She is currently a shareholder in the office. Sesaly’s primary practice focus has been on employment and education law with extensive past experience in commercial litigation.
As a pro-bono attorney with Southern Arizona Legal Aid, Sesaly enjoys assisting clients in determining whether they have a claim to bring against employers who have wrongfully terminated them or discriminated against them. Outside of SALA, Sesaly also volunteers as a pro-bono attorney for Step up to Justice.
When she has free time, Sesaly enjoys doing CrossFit, cooking fresh and healthy recipes, and doing yoga. She also loves to spend time with her 18-year-old daughter and 20-year-old son, when she gets the chance!
The VLP at Southern Arizona Legal Aid is deeply gracious for Sesaly’s continued volunteerism and dedication to her clients.
For questions or comments about this blog, please contact us at: Connections@sazlegalaid.org
