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Naomi Harden
November 2009
The VLP is pleased
to announce
that Naomi Harden
has been
selected as our
Outstanding Law
Student Volunteer
for the month
of November 2009.
Naomi is a
second year law
student at the U
of A and is
currently participating
in the Service
Center Clinic this
semester. Naomi
dove right in
to things at this
clinic. She was
eager and caring
with clients and
blew VLP staff and
volunteers away
with her
willingness to go the extra
mile. She helped
give clients the
confidence to get
through their
legal issue on
their own with just a little help from us. Naomi is an impressive
young woman and
the VLP is incredibly grateful to have her as a volunteer.
Naomi was born in
Mobile, Alabama and moved to Riverside, CA as a toddler.
After spending a
few years in Alhambra, CA, Naomi spent her middle school
and high school
years criss-crossing the country. In that short period of time,
her family moved
from Hagerstown, Maryland to Las Vegas, Nevada to Camden,
New Jersey to West
Point, Georgia. Naomi ended up graduating high school
in Montgomery, AL
and going on to obtain political science and philosophy
degrees from the
University of Alabama in Huntsville. Naomi says “after
graduation, I
moved to Atlanta, GA where I lived until 2008 when I relocated
to Tucson. And
no, my parents weren’t military!”
Now a year and a
half through law school, Naomi says that Professor Jamie
Ratner has made a
big impact on her.
He teaches in a
way that involves the student in understanding
the concept. His
focus is on the reason for the rule and how
the decisions that
have shaped the rule have furthered that goal.
His classes are
fun and interactive, if demanding, and his teaching
style drives his
students to challenge themselves and achieve growth.
We asked Naomi
what got her interested in volunteering with VLP. She said,
“I’m
passionate about volunteer work and, combined with the opportunity
for
legal experience, VLP was impossible to pass up. I also know that
there are
so many people who desperately need help with basic legal issues and
I loved
the idea of being able to help out.” Naomi also says that her
experiences in
VLP and in law school have changed her for the better. “Understanding
the
legal system and
the roles of its players has helped me to feel more
empowered in
life.”
Naomi just got
married in September and became Mrs. Naomi Claxton.
She and her new
hubby will be honeymooning in Puerto Vallarto, Mexico
this January – a
place she expects will become her new favorite vacation
spot. An avid
scuba diver, Naomi is hoping to get the chance to dive while
on her honeymoon.
When she’s back in Tucson, she loves to catch a meal
at Thai
China Siam or the New Delhi Palace.
She’s also addicted to “all
things GSN and
HGTV.” When asked what her dream job is, she replies,
“Supreme Court
Justice. Hey, a girl’s got to dream! But, if you want
something more
down to earth, I’d also like to be GC at a Fortune 500.”
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Past Outstanding Volunteer
Student Awards |
