By Michele Mirto

 

Sandra Tedlock has been selected as

the Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney of

the Month for April.  Sandra has been

involved with Southern Arizona Legal

Aid’s Volunteers Lawyers Program for

eleven years.  During that time, she has

represented clients in domestic relations

matters.  Sandra has always accepted

the most difficult and complex cases seen by the program.  Staff value her

expertise and her willingness to accept cases when called upon.  The VLP’s

monthly award is a distinct honor: of the nearly 1300 attorneys who volunteer

their time with VLP, only 12 receive the VLP’s Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney

award each year.                                                                

 

Q & A with Sandra Tedlock:

 

Where are you from?

I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico where I met and married my husband of

38 years.

 

Where did you go to college and law school?

I attended the University of New Mexico and graduated from Boston University.  I

received my law degree from Boston College Law School.

 

What is the history of your practice of law?

After graduating from law school, I worked for two years for the Iowa Supreme

Court as a Court Planner.  Then I was a county prosecutor and had a general

practice in Ames, Iowa for several years.  When I moved to Tucson in l984, I

joined Waterfall, Economidis, Caldwell, Hanshaw and Villamana.  I started

my solo practice in Tucson in family law eighteen years ago.

 

What are your current practice areas?

I practice exclusively family law, and particularly enjoy working on cases with

complex legal questions or complex assets such as businesses, real estate,

and retirement, or with spousal maintenance issues.  I also handle pre-nuptial

agreements.

 

What drives you to volunteer with VLP?

I became a lawyer to help people, and working with pro bono clients makes me

feel that I am really making a contribution and fulfilling my purpose.

 

Anyone you would like to acknowledge for contributing to your legal

career / pro bono service? 

Peter Economidis

 

One reason you would encourage attorneys to volunteer with VLP? 

The best part of volunteering is realizing that you have empowered someone to

resolve conflicts in their lives.  Most clients are very grateful for the assistance

you give them.  Also as a judge pro tem I am aware of how hard it is for the

judges to resolve cases, and having an attorney helps get a case fairly resolved.

 

Favorite Tucson restaurant?

For breakfast, LeBuzz Caffe, for lunch, Chipolte and Choice Greens, and for

dinner, Firebirds and Zona 78.

 

Things you do when not working or volunteering your legal services? 

Nagging my sixteen year old son.  However, I enjoy being outside hiking or

gardening.  Otherwise I spend my time on photography, scrapbooking, reading,

and sewing.

 

Best thing about being an attorney in Tucson?

Of course it’s the great attorneys, judges, CPAs, business and property

appraisers and other professionals in Tucson that I get to work with.

 

Worst thing about being an attorney in Tucson?

Having to work in the spring and fall, when the weather is so perfect outside.

 

Best vacation destination? 

We have a house outside of Santa Fe that is in a private, secluded area. I love to

go there as often as possible because it gives me a chance to be outside, hike,

work with my hands fixing it up, and a great place to relax.

 

What do you do to unwind after work? 

My two personal trainers: my golden retrievers, Jasmine and Joey, make me

walk them for at least two miles.  It’s good exercise and change of pace.

 

Any hidden talents? 

Interior and exterior house painting.

 

What is something that not many people know about you?

I like country music and I am a vegetarian.

 

Food you can't live without?

Hatch Green Chili

 

What is something you would like people to know about you? 

I am a very private person, so I have already told you more in these questions

than I like to share.

 

Are you a dog or a cat person?

I love both, and volunteer for the Humane Society.  But it’s hard because I want

to take all of them home.  One of our two golden retrievers is a rescue dog.

 

If this award was accompanied by prize money, how would you spend
it?