|
Monet Duval
October 2009
The VLP is pleased
to announce
that Monet Duval
has been selected
as our Outstanding
Law Student
Volunteer for the
month of October
2009. Monet is a
second year law
student at the U
of A and is currently
participating in
the Bankruptcy
Reaffirmation
Clinic this semester.
Monet wowed VLP
staff and attorney
volunteers with
his take charge
attitude and
polished courtroom
manner. He is
personable with
clients and able
to succinctly
explain the
reaffirmation process
with ease despite
the fact that he
is new to the
program. Monet’s
lightning-quick
comprehension of
the bankruptcy
clinic material and
ease in the
courtroom made him a
clear choice for
the VLP’s Student
of the Month.
Monet hails from
Boubannais, IL, a small town 60 miles south of Chicago – a
place he labels
“the best city in the world”. He received a degree in Business
Administration
from University of Michigan where he was the recipient of
numerous
scholarships and a member of their Honors Program. After
graduation, Monet
worked as a market analyst, immigration paralegal, and as
a project
consultant for an international software development firm before
entering law
school at the U of A in 2008. A year into his legal education,
Monet says that
his experiences in VLP and law school have changed the
way he views our
legal system:
Since becoming a
law student I’ve discovered that the law is
something that
nearly anyone can master with the right amount
of effort.
Specific deficiencies, such as research, writing, or
communication can
almost always be remedied with hard work.
The difference
between the best lawyers and those who are
merely serviceable
isn’t some innate talent; it’s a willingness to
learn and get
better.
Like many of our
students, Monet chose to get involved with the VLP out of a
desire to help the
community. “I felt that VLP
provides support to people who
need it dearly, and I felt that
with VLP’s help I could be a valuable asset to the
Tucson community.” Volunteering
with the VLP has also helped Monet realize
just how valuable knowledge and
education truly are. He says that the most
important thing he has learned
volunteering is “the fact that, more than
anything, people
want to have situations explained to them in plain English
so they can make
educated decisions about matters that affect their lives.”
One person who has
had a big impact on Monet is Professor Ellen Bublick.
“She was my
first-year small section professor and she was quite possibly
the perfect person
to introduce us to the law school. In addition to being an
amazingly
accomplished legal mind, she employed just the right amount of
“kid glove”
treatment while still being intellectually demanding.” His legal
studies have also
given him a strong interest in prosecution – particularly in
the area of white
collar crime. His hope is to one day work for the U.S.
Attorney’s Office
as a prosecutor.
In his spare time,
Monet is a very active guy who is up for playing just about
any sport
available. He also enjoys movies, live music and comedy, and just
“generally being
outside”. He’s a big seafood fan and can often be found
eating some of his
favorite food at Tucson’s Kingfisher Bar & Grill.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Past Outstanding Volunteer
Student Awards |
