Johanna Valenzuela

Class of 2010
SC Attorney General’s Office

image001Tutor, CASA volunteer, Pro Bono Board member, Law Review member and new mom! Those words describe Johanna Valenzuela in the time between her 2L and 3L year of Law “

This was a great opportunity to talk about emerging issues that had real consequences as we were trying to help a live client!”

School. Johanna has always been someone who could manage her time well, accomplish what she set out to do and still have time for friends and family. In fact when asked what was one of the lasting effects of her time with the USC School of Law Pro Bono Program, her reply was classic “Johanna”. “It is easy to connect with people who served on the board previously and after. It helps with time management. You really can get involved in more than you think. Having all these projects through the Pro Bono Office helps you to create a schedule and stick to it.”

Those skills were honed while serving her country as a leader of a helicopter repair unit for the US Air Force, as a solicitor in York County, as a federal law clerk and now as she conducts complex federal and state litigation and investigates consumer and antitrust complaints for the Office of the SC Attorney General. Johanna continues to pro bono assistance to the most vulnerable citizens through the Attorney General’s Criminal Domestic Violence Program. She is also involved with projects of the Young Lawyers Division of the SC Bar and even found time to assist with a middle school mock trial team when in York County.

Johanna admits that working with pro bono projects in Law School helped her learn to manage her time because it gave her parameters and deadlines. As a volunteer guardian ad litem she worked hard to advocate for the children in her care. In fact her first case ended right at graduation time. Perfect timing!

Johanna has nothing but praise for people like Professor Josie Brown and her support. She loves to share her mutual love of constitutional law. For Johanna this special knowledge came in handy on a rule of law pro bono project. “This was a great opportunity to talk about emerging issues that had real consequences as we were trying to help a live client!”

When asked what she would tell students today about the Pro Bono Program, her reply said it all, “Lawyers in the community love asking about Pro Bono and know the office well. Being involved helped me get a job!”