The Mizzou Law Veterans Clinic recently announced the hiring of Julia Rives as its new clinical director. As clinical director, Julia will be primarily responsible for the classroom component of the clinic, supervision of the students, and the clinic’s amicus brief writing efforts.

Julia grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. She attended the University of Missouri and received her Bachelor of Science in 2013. After graduating, she was awarded the Tim Heinsz scholarship to attend the University of Missouri School of Law.

Julia worked on several veterans’ disability compensation cases as a law student for the Veterans Clinic, including two military  sexual trauma claims. Julia received her Juris Doctor in 2016 and was awarded the Order of the Coif and the Order of Barristers.

Julia was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 2016 and the Kentucky Bar in 2017. During her first year as an attorney, Julia became accredited with the Veterans Administration and served as a law clerk for the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District in St. Louis. She then worked for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office as an Assistant Attorney General.

In her time with the Attorney General’s Office, Julia successfully defended more than 200 appeals on behalf of the State and successfully argued before the Supreme Court of Missouri three times. Julia also assisted in two criminal jury trials that resulted in verdicts of guilty on all counts. In 2019, Julia was selected to be the first Supreme Court Fellow under Attorney General Eric Schmitt. In 2020, Julia was awarded the David J. Dixon Appellate Advocacy Award for her outstanding appellate advocacy work for the State of Missouri.

“We are very excited to have one of our first clinical students return to the Clinic as the new clinical director,” said Angela Drake, the director of the Mizzou Law Veterans Clinic. “Julia worked tirelessly as a student on several cases. Her work at the Attorney General’s office, giving rise to her receiving the David J. Dixon Award for outstanding appellate advocacy, foreshadows her upcoming zealous representation of veterans on behalf of a grateful nation. We are beyond thrilled to have her join us and teach the next generation of veterans advocates.”

The Mizzou Law Veterans Clinic started in 2014. Students, who are supervised by experienced attorneys, help veterans and their families secure disability benefits at no charge. Since its inception, the Clinic has secured over $7 million in compensation for veterans and their families.