Meet Victoria

I attended Eastern Michigan University where I double majored in psychology and social work. I enjoyed the scientific approach that psychology took to delving into the inner workings of individuals and balanced that with the approach of social work that looks at how the systems and environment we operate in also impact our inner world. The more I studied the more passionate I became about public policy and how the policy and laws of our society can be used to protect vulnerable populations and individuals when faced with legal issues that impacted their personal lives. My time at Eastern Michigan University is likely the place where my interest and inclination towards a holistic approach to problems was born. I quickly realized that when trying to help with solutions it was important to view clients as individuals and as parts of a larger system. A symbiotic relationship between the client and the other individuals in their lives, the groups they are members of, the culture and society they move through, and the legal and social systems they live under.  

 

After completing my undergraduate degree, I spent several years working in child protection before ultimately deciding that it was time to attend law school. I chose Wayne State University because I wanted to attend a law school within the city, and I hoped that it would give me the experience of getting my legal education alongside a diverse group of fellow students and future colleagues. While in law school I interned with the Michigan Children's Law Center which is a non-profit that provides legal services to children who have been abused or neglected or have been charged with delinquent behavior. I clerked for the civil rights law firm Goodman Hurwitz and interned at the Solution Oriented Domestic Violence Court (SODVPC) housed in the Wayne County Third Circuit Court. In my final year of law school I had the honor of serving as Editor In Chief of the Journal of Law in Society which is an academic journal (similar to law review) that provides scholarly discourse on the intersection of law and society through publications and an annual symposium.  

 

While in law school I became committed to the idea of obtaining my Masters in Social Work while also attending law school. Wayne State University did not have this specific dual degree program and so I chose to forge my own way. I worked collaboratively with the deans of both the School of Social Work and the Law School to craft my own plan of work so that I could complete both degrees simultaneously. I graduated from law school in May 2013, sat for the bar in July 2013, and became a licensed attorney in November of 2013. During the 2013-2014 school year I finished up my work in the School of Social Work and graduated with MSW in May of 2014.  

 

Since graduating, I have spent my legal career working with children, families, and indigent clients. I currently take appointments in Oakland County representing children who have been victims of abuse and neglect as a Lawyer Guardian Ad Litem, I also have experience as a GAL in divorce cases that involve minor children. This is sometimes necessary when two parties are not able to co-parent effectively and the court believes it to be beneficial to have a legal professional assist in determining what is in the best interests of the minor child/ren. Additionally, I have worked as a staff attorney for the Counseling and Advocacy Law Line (CALL) through Lakeshore Legal Aid.

 

My education and career have always been centered around children and families and my unique credentials have prepared me for this work in ways that I know are beneficial to the clients I work with.