Recent alumna
Angela Menard is a veteran of the United States Army who now tirelessly serves her fellow former service members in private practice at
Menard Law, PLLC. She is motivated by her "spirit of service and commitment to the practice of law" and works hard to advocate for people across many communities.
Angie is a native Tucsonan who returned to Arizona in 1992 after serving in combat in the Persian Gulf. She obtained her BS in Business Information Systems from the University of Phoenix in 1999 and began her studies at the UA College of Law in 2013.
During her time in law school she worked on veterans' issues through the Veterans' Advocacy Law Clinic ("Vet Law Clinic") and was named a Pat Tillman Military Scholar in 2015.
Angie says that she came to law school precisely for the training she received at Arizona Law and in the Vet Law Clinic. Through the clinic she represented veterans in criminal matters, disability benefits appeals, and worked with veterans facing PTSD, substance abuse, and homelessness.
As a result of her experiences working in the Vet Law Clinic, she decided to devote the majority of her practice to disability law. Her practice areas are Veteran Disability, Social Security Disability, and Criminal Defense. Over half of her clients are veterans.
Of her time at Arizona Law she says:
"I loved being a law student. It was a second career for me and I wanted to do something more meaningful with my life. At the College of Law I had amazing professors and extraordinary clinical opportunities that led me to an area of law that I love."
After graduating in 2016 Angie worked as a post-graduate fellow with the Vet Law Clinic for a year. She opened her own practice on August 1 of this year in downtown Tucson, and continues to work with the Vet Law Clinic supervising students in benefits appeals cases, in Veteran Treatment Court, and teaching clinic classes.
As a student working in the clinic, Angie won her first case against Veterans Affairs on behalf of a client seeking a one-time payment from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund for his service during World War II. She recently won another claim involving a Vietnam veteran. Clinic director, Professor
Kristine Huskey says, "Clearly, Angie is a powerhouse against the VA."
Angie notes:
"The most rewarding part of my job is that I get to help people every single day. Part of my challenge is navigating the complex VA system, and advocating for people who have incredibly difficult lives. I am very thankful for the education that I received at the College of Law, and I look forward to serving Veterans in my community."
