2011 LRAP Recipients

LRAP Recipients Are Named

Gonzaga Law is pleased to announce the 2011 recipients of the Gonzaga Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP).

LRAP was created in 2007 to assist graduates engaged in the practice of public service law. By supporting those serving in the public interest, we underscore our humanistic, Jesuit, and Catholic mission.

Although many see them as more rewarding, careers in public service are generally less well compensated than those in the private sector. LRAP was developed to encourage students to work - and to remain - in public interest law.

Applicants with outstanding law school student loans, either federal and private, are eligible to apply.

These outstanding Gonzaga Law alumni are the 2011 LRAP award recipients:

Stephanie Cotton (’08)

Colorado Public Defender’s Office
Trinidad, CO

Cotton, a graduate of Whitworth College, is employed as a Deputy Public Defender in Colorado.

She handles all types of work for indigent clients, many of whom are incarcerated or charged with felony crimes.

She also works with a local homeless shelter and serves on the Crossroads Drug and Alcohol Board.

Cotton became interested in law school while volunteering with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps at the Seattle Public Defender’s office. While at school, she was a member of the National Moot Court Honors Council - National Trial Team.

As a student, she interned for the Spokane County Prosecutor’s office and the Federal Public Defender’s office.

“One of the principles that I hold strongly to is to treat all people with love and respect," said Cotton. "I feel as though if you do that, you will have a happy life.”

Kelsie Davis (’08)

Union County District Attorney’s Office
LaGrande, OR

Kelsie Davis is the deputy district attorney for the Union County D.A.’s office in LaGrande, OR.

She became interested in becoming a prosecutor as far back as her middle school days when she followed the news about a high-profile domestic violence case in LeGrande.

“I realized that if I were a prosecutor, I could help others like them," Davis said. "To this day, working with victims is the most rewarding type of case I handle, regardless of how ugly the crime.”

A graduate of the University of Washington, Davis was deeply involved with University Legal Assistance (The Clinic) while studying at Gonzaga Law. She hopes to continue her career as a prosecutor and is open to the possibility of someday pursuing a seat on the bench.

As a student, Davis was involved with several student bar groups, including the Women’s Law Caucus.

Rosemary Villarreal (’09)

Unemployment Law Project
Spokane, WA

Villarreal is a staff attorney for the Unemployment Law Project in Spokane, WA.

Her primary duties include providing clients with direct representation up to the Supreme Court level in unemployment appeals, and advises individuals about their procedural rights, legal arguments, and self-representation strategies.

A Gonzaga University graduate, Villarreal said she always knew she wanted to make her living helping people. She credits her parents for “instilling in me a strong sense of responsibility to help those less fortunate than myself. A career in public service seemed like the most logical way to help those people in our society who are most disadvantaged and have the most problems navigating our justice system.”

While studying law at Gonzaga, Villarreal was vice-president of the Labor and Employment Law Caucus and a semi-finalist in the annual Linden Cup competition.

M. Abbas Risvi (’07)

Northwest Justice Project
Seattle, WA

Abbas  Rizvi, a graduate of the University of Washington, spends his days at the Northwest Justice Project helping underprivileged clients with such issues as domestic violence, termination of public benefits, and wide-ranging consumer law issues.

Rizvi was always drawn to public service and social justice: “Public service was my way to do social justice work. I was drawn to the toolkit available to a public interest lawyer in advocating for his client. I enjoy using argument and persuasive writing to seek justice for my clients.”

While in law school, Rizvi participated in University Legal Assistance (The Clinic)  and the Multi-Cultural Law Caucus. He said he gained valuable experience as a student when he interned for the Department of Justice-Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Maria Garcia (’07)

Columbia Legal Services
Kennewick, WA

Maria Garcia is a staff attorney for the Columbia Legal Services group in Kennewick, WA. She helps clients - most of whom are farm workers - with their many legal issues.

Fluent in Spanish, Garcia helps provide a language bridge for many of the Hispanic clients served by Columbia Legal Services. Garcia, who studied at the University of Washington, is the first in her family to graduate from both high school and college.

She was moved to become a public interest attorney because, “I knew having a career in public service that I could help my community, especially the farm-worker population.”

While studying law at Gonzaga, Maria participated in University Legal Assistance (The Clinic) and eventually served an externship for the Honorable Robert Whaley-U.S. District Court Eastern District of Washington.

Garcia also was an associate editor for the Gonzaga Law Review.

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Joe Kuhlman (’09)

Lee and Associates
Yakima, WA

Joe Kuhlman practices with a firm in the Yakima area which was formed to handle the defense contract for city of Yakima. Kuhlman spends 100 percent of his time working with indigent clients who need defense representation.

Kuhlman also handles pro-bono civil cases for indigent clients.

During his summers at law school, Kuhlman, a graduate of East Tennessee State University, interned at public defender and assigned-council offices across Washington state.

Kuhlman credits his grandfather for helping him to develop compassion: “Compassion for the human condition, with all of our flaws, is the only way to succeed in public interest work because without it an attorney won’t last.”

As a student, Kuhlman received a C.A.L.I. Award for Professional Responsibility, and was a finalist for the Gonzaga Negotiations Competition.