Attorney Profile

After graduating college, I worked at a Fortune 500 company. I handled mainly accounting and project management tasks in the operations/accounting department. I eventually felt that I was spending too much time in front of a computer and wanted a career that was more value-driven and challenging. After working as a volunteer at Legal Aid of Milwaukee and the Workers’ Rights Center, I decided to apply to law school. I previously worked as a prosecutor in both Oregon AND Wisconsin.

I entered Wake Forest Law School in 2013. I immediately felt a connection to the practice of criminal law. I also enjoyed my trial practice courses and found my skills aligned with courtroom advocacy. My trial team won the State Competition both years I was a member. This was the first time Wake Forest’s AAJ (American Association for Justice) Trial Team won the state competition in about a decade.

After Graduating Law School

After graduating law school, I decided to move to Wisconsin where I worked as a prosecutor in both Milwaukee and Marathon Counties. I prosecuted a wide variety of cases, but focused primarily upon domestic violence and traffic crimes, including DUIs.

As much as I enjoyed prosecutorial work, I decided that I needed to make a change. I loved the work of a criminal attorney and litigating in a courtroom, but I also had an entrepreneurial spirit that I inherited from my father who started his own business at a young age. I decided that the best fit for me was opening my own small firm as a criminal defense attorney. I also moved back to Oregon, where I first worked as an intern at Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office. I decided to base my practice in Salem due to it’s proximity to other counties within the Willamette Valley.

If you would like more information on what makes my firm unique, please click on the “Why Southwell Law, LLC,” link. If you would like to setup a free consultation to learn more about my qualifications and hear how I can help you, please reach out anytime by following the “Contact Us” link, or call the number below. I look forward to speaking and working with you.