Valencia Are is an Equal Justice Works Fellow with Tzedek DC. She is part of the Crime Victims Advocacy Program. Her project works to provide legal services to low-income members of the BIPOC community who struggle with financial debt and have been victims of crime. It also focuses on community outreach, providing education about debt and financial literacy, and working to create systemic change to alleviate the impact of debt on consumers and their livelihoods.

During law school, Valencia served as a Student Attorney in Howard’s Movement Lawyering Clinic, where she worked on a variety of civil rights issues. These causes included environmental justice concerns in DC’s Ivy City neighborhood, divisive concepts bans proposed in Arizona and nationwide, and human rights abuses perpetrated by federal, state, and local governments. As a member of the clinic, Valencia engaged with local community leaders, activists, and organizers to help raise awareness about their issues and information for community members to use to advance their cause. One of the ways she accomplished this was by creating an infographic on small area plans that community members could use to influence development in their neighborhoods, prevent further environmental concerns, and increase community agency. Her role in the clinic furthered her passion for being a resource to the community and working in public interest.

Valencia received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and African Studies from The Pennsylvania State University. From there, she continued her studies at Howard University School of Law, where she received her Juris Doctor. During her time at Howard Law, she served as Secretary for the Black Law Students Association and Africans Law Students Association.

Valencia is not yet licensed as an attorney.