Inspired by her stepfather Allen Speare J.D. ‘83, a Santa Clara Law alum and criminal defense attorney, Julia Wobbe J.D. ‘12 followed in his footsteps and attended Santa Clara Law. 20 years after her step-father, she had the same tort professor as he did.
Julia Wobbe, a senior associate attorney at Tobener Ravenscroft, shared her story and how she is working to inspire the next generation of legal professionals.
Wobbe earned her bachelor’s in Criminal Justice from California State University of Sacramento before attending Santa Clara Law in 2009. She commented that she “was always interested in justice.” She went on to earn her Juris Doctor. Her specialization was Public Interest and Social Justice Law.
Wobbe’s journey toward fighting for justice was a focused pursuit after graduation, as she diligently sought employment as a public defender. Despite a strong desire to work in the Bay Area, she faced limited opportunities as public defender positions were scarce at the time. Undeterred, she cast her net wider and found herself in Tulare County, an hour south of Fresno, where she worked as a public defender.
In Tulare County, Wobbe immersed herself in the work, gaining invaluable experience by handling an impressive 20 jury trials independently. This hands-on experience solidified her belief in the value of gaining practical experience for aspiring lawyers.
Following her two-year tenure with the County of Tulare, Wobbe transitioned to Tobener Ravenscroft LLP in 2015. This move marked a shift towards civil litigation specializing in tenant rights law. Tobener Ravenscroft LLP, renowned as California’s foremost tenant rights law firm with two decades of experience, offered Wobbe an opportunity to focus on areas such as wrongful evictions, repair disputes, harassment, discrimination, and landlord-caused injuries. Wobbe spotlights this transition as a sign of her commitment to advocating for justice and protecting the rights of tenants in California.
With a passion for social justice, Wobbe highlights an unwavering commitment to tenant rights, noting her extensive work with clients in cases involving wrongful eviction, habitability issues, sexual harassment, and personal injury alongside buyout negotiations and broader tenant rights concerns.
Beyond her legal victories, Wobbe notes her active involvement in community service, volunteering weekly at the San Francisco Housing Rights Committee, further spurred by a commitment to social justice.
Wobbe’s work has been recognized by the Northern California Rising Star list by Super Lawyers for seven years straight.
Wobbe’s story came full circle when she inspired former Tobener Ravenscroft paralegal Ricardo Larrea (1L) to attend Santa Clara Law.
Larrea commented, “I had this sort of idea that I wanted to do something related to international law or international transactions. I chose to become a paralegal first… to get an experience in what being a lawyer was like before making the financial commitment.”
Wobbe was one of his first mentors, and one of the only, if not the sole, Santa Clara Law graduate at the firm. Larrea said, “She was very supportive of my journey and gave me a lot more practical experience than other attorneys.”
“I really can’t thank her enough. In terms of her influencing my decision to come to Santa Clara… I was really only looking at schools within San Francisco, and Julia really pushed me to look into Santa Clara,” said Larrea. “It helped that Santa Clara had a lot of strengths in the areas that I’m interested in, and also that we have this connection as I went to a Jesuit high school in Peru where I was born.”
Wobbe offered her advice for those following in her path.
“I think the biggest takeaway is that you can switch areas of law. You can switch to different areas of practice, and you don’t have to feel that you’re stuck in one area of law because really what it comes down to is those transferrable hands-on practical skills,” said Wobbe. “What any law job wants is your ability to analyze difficult issues, solve problems, advocate for your clients and get a good result.”
