ASSOCIATE
Clara S. Acosta graduated cum laude in 2015 from the University of Texas at El Paso, with a B.A. in English and a minor in Legal Reasoning. While in college, Clara received a certificate from the Law School Preparation Institute, was a member of the National Honor Society, and participated in the Lincoln-Douglas Debate team. Clara graduated in May of 2019 from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. During law school, she completed internships for the Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission, Judge Joseph Tuchi at the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, and the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project. During her last year of law school, Clara externed with Lubin & Enoch, learning extensively about labor and employment law. While with us, she gained experience drafting complaints, discovery requests, drafting responsive pleadings, and interfacing with clients.
During law school, Clara also honed her advocacy skills by extensively participating in internal and external moot court competitions, including Spritzer, Earle Zehmer’s Workers’ Compensation, National Moot Court, and the Hispanic National Bar Association Moot Court. In Spritzer, she was a 2017 finalist and won third place in 2018. In Earle Zehmer, she and her partner won second place best written appellate brief. During her time in law school, she also volunteered extensive pro bono work for legal and local groups, including Mi Familia Vota, Puente, CourtWorks, Phoenix Legal Action Network, the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, the Immigrant Initiative, and as a shelter director for volunteers at East Valley Men’s Center. As a result, Clara received the highest distinction for her pro bono work.
Education
- Sandra Day O’Connor College of law, Arizona State University (J.D., 2019)
- University of Texas at El Paso (B.A. in English literature, minor in legal reasoning, cum laude)
- El Paso Community College, Associate of Arts (with honors, 2012)
Professional Recognitions, Honors, and Awards
- Phoenix Magazine Top Lawyer (2022)
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in the areas of Education Law; Labor & Employment Law; Litigation-Labor & Employment Law)(2022)
- Southwest Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2022)
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in the areas of Labor & Employment Law (Employee Focused), and Labor & Employment Litigation (2021)
- Children’s Program Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award by Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project (2021)
- Highest Pro Bono Distinction for completion of more than 150 hours of pro bono service during law school (2019)
- Los Abogados Merit Scholarship (2016)
- Recipient of scholarship from Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project
- Recipient of Chicano Latino Law Student Association book scholarship
- Spritzer Moot Court 2017 Finalist and 2018 Third Place Winner
- Earle Zehmer Worker’s Compensation Moot Court, Second Place Written Appellate Brief
Bar Admissions:
• Texas (2019)
• Arizona (2020)
• New Mexico (2021)
Languages
• Fluent speaking, reading, and writing Spanish