ATTORNEY. ADVOCATE. DEMOCRAT.
About
VICTORIA’S EDUCATION
Victoria’s parents always stressed the importance of education. Victoria attended a Montessori Pre-School and then St. Augustine Catholic School in Pleasant Grove from Kindergarten to Eighth grade. Victoria ran track, played basketball, and was the Captain of her Drill Team. Victoria excelled in her studies and was accepted to Ursuline Academy of Dallas, an all-girls Catholic college-preparatory school in North Dallas. Victoria was able to attend Ursuline, in part, because of a reduced tuition rate.
“My experience at Ursuline opened my eyes to a world that existed beyond my barrio. When I saw the beautiful mansions surrounding the school, it gave me something to which I could aspire, but I also realized that there was a great wealth gap in our city. I knew at that moment that I had a responsibility to get educated and then to use my skills to serve. Education would be my key to unlocking and opening doors for others.”–Victoria Neave
While at Ursuline, Victoria was on the Dean’s List and took honors or Advanced Placement courses in Algebra, Chemistry, Biology, Latin, and Physics. Victoria was on the Jesuit Rangerettes Dance/ Drill Team and organized and served as President of the first private school LULAC Youth Council.
Victoria attended Tulane University her freshman year of college as a Cell and Molecular Biology major, took courses at Dallas County Community College District and ultimately obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Politics from the University of Texas at Dallas. While at U.T. Dallas, Victoria was elected to serve as Vice President of the Student Government Association and represented 14,000 students. Victoria also served on the U.T. System Student Advisory Council, as President of the UT Dallas LULAC Council, and on the U.T. Dallas Moot Court team.
VICTORIA’S LEGAL CAREER
Victoria attended law school at Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, Texas where she graduated magna cum laude and in the top 3% of her law school class. Victoria also achieved great success in oral advocacy competitions, won four First Place awards, and competed in several regional and national competitions securing numerous oral advocacy and brief-writing awards. Victoria was on the Dean’s List and earned the Dean’s Merit Scholarship.
Victoria worked as an Attorney in the Complex Commercial Litigation group of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP, which is ranked as one of the top ten law firms in the country. While at Weil, Victoria worked on multi-billion dollar complex business disputes in both state and federal courts throughout the country. Victoria worked on antitrust litigation, securities litigation, bankruptcy-related, and other commercial litigation. Victoria learned from some of the best litigators and partners in the country.
Victoria currently owns her own law practice and represents individuals and business clients primarily in civil litigation, such as breach of contract, fraud, negligence, and employment law. Victoria won, with the help of her law partner and paralegal team, a $2.4+ million jury verdict which was ranked by Texas Lawyer as the second highest jury verdict in Texas for 2014 in the employment law category. The case is still on appeal.
VICTORIA’S COMMUNITY SERVICE
Victoria believes that we have a duty to stand up for those without a voice. That’s why Victoria has long been involved in advocacy and community organizations. Victoria’s interest in serving others started from a young age. In fact, Ursuline emphasized and instilled in Victoria its motto of “Serviam,” the Latin term for the phrase “I will serve.”
Growing up, Victoria would regularly organize and volunteer in community service projects which would help low-income families, women, and children. Victoria was involved in a civil rights advocacy organization and traveled to high schools across Dallas ISD, Garland, and the surrounding school districts organizing students. Victoria was also elected as LULAC National Youth President and served on the National Board of the nation’s largest and oldest Latino civil rights organization.
While in high school, Victoria also volunteered for two political campaigns, one of which was Regina Montoya Coggins’ Congressional race. Victoria recruited some of her friends and went block-walking for Regina’s campaign in East Dallas.
Victoria was elected to serve as Vice President of the UTD Student Government Association. As SGA VP, Victoria advocated for students and served on various committees with faculty and university administrators. Victoria also served on the U.T. System Student Advisory Council which was composed of the Student Government Presidents and Vice Presidents for each UT Campus and where the leaders discussed system-wide policies and legislation affecting students.
Victoria also served as an intern for Texas State Representative Rafael Anchia in House District 103 where she interacted with constituents and community leaders.
In law school, Victoria served as Chief Justice of the Board of Advocates. Victoria also organized and helped lead a week-long, on-campus hunger strike calling for comprehensive immigration reform. Victoria helped establish a mentoring program at Jack Yates High School in the Third Ward.
Victoria participated in Weil’s public service program where she worked pro bono for one year with two non-profit organizations. During this time, Victoria served as a pro bono civil rights attorney, where she, among other things, mediated and facilitated meetings with numerous governmental entities including, school districts, police departments, and local municipalities; provided counsel regarding potential litigation on a myriad of legal issues; successfully represented multiple low-income families; and helped design a dropout prevention program which won a $20,000 grant. Victoria also served on the board of directors for a senior citizen center for low-income elderly residents in North Texas and co-chaired an elderly conference, co-sponsored by Legal Aid of Northwest Texas, which educated over 150 senior citizens on their legal rights.
Victoria also worked with a team of Weil attorneys, pro bono, to secure increased compensation for a Texas inmate who was wrongfully convicted of and imprisoned for a crime he did not commit.
Victoria also served as Weil’s 2012 Lend-A-Lawyer to the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, where she devoted a three-month period to representing indigent clients on a pro bono basis in various areas of the law, including, family law, probate, and consumer rights cases.
Victoria has been recognized in the legal community for her pro bono work:
- Pro Bono Award, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, 2011, 2012
- Lawyer of the Year, Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program, 2013
- Estrella Award, Dallas Hispanic Bar Association 2013
- Access to Justice Pro Bono Champion, Texas Bar Journal , 2013
Victoria’s service to the community and public speaking is extensive. For example, Victoria served as Vice President of and Pro Bono Counsel to a non-profit which serves the elderly population of the city of Dallas. She helped organize a conference and led sessions teaching senior citizens about their legal rights concerning wills and powers of attorney.
Victoria was selected to the 2012 Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Leadership Class and the State Bar of Texas SBOT Leadership Class in 2013-2014.
Victoria also served on the Board of the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association, chaired the Pro Bono Committee, and has helped organize for the past few years a free legal clinic which teaches the community about their legal rights.
Victoria has served on the Dallas Civil Service Commission and has chaired a Chamber of Commerce.
Victoria also served on the Dallas Police Department’s Community Support Coalition and as National General Counsel to the National Latino Law Enforcement Organization.
Victoria has worked with local and national Jewish organizations to help build bridges and helped organize the Dallas Jewish-Latino Leadership Coalition.
VICTORIA’S FAMILY
Victoria’s father came to the United States from a small town in Mexico over 40 years ago seeking a better life. Victoria’s father worked as a dishwasher and then learned a trade–repairing TVs and VCRs. Victoria’s father had an entrepreneurial spirit, just like Victoria, and decided to open up his own electronics repair shop in Mesquite, Texas in the 1980s. Victoria’s dad emphasized customer service and taught her the importance of treating people right and having a positive attitude. Victoria worked at her father’s small business, Galloway TV & VCR Repair Service Center, which was located for 13 years near the intersection of Galloway and Town East Boulevard in Mesquite next to Poteet High School. Victoria’s father then opened up other small TV shops, including one in Garland, Texas off of I-30 next to Lake Ray Hubbard; one off Garland Road and Buckner Blvd. near White Rock Lake; and one in Pleasant Grove. Victoria’s father currently works in Mesquite.
Victoria’s mother was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. After graduating from high school, her mother worked as a secretary at a bank in Dallas for 12 years. She then worked as an administrative assistant at the City of Dallas for 9 years. Victoria’s mother then served as a Bilingual Case Manager at New Beginning Center in Garland, a non-profit center for women and children who were victims of domestic violence. Victoria’s mother currently works in Garland where she’s worked for the past 11 years. While working full time, Victoria’s mother decided to go back to school at night and on weekends and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of North Texas at Dallas.
Victoria has a younger brother who graduated from Bishop Lynch High School. He earned credits at the University of North Texas in Denton and currently works as a Litigation Paralegal at Victoria’s law firm.