Julia McDowell received a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies from the University of California, Berkeley in 2003, completing a four year program in two and a half years. She graduated from the University of California, Davis with a Juris Doctorate, in 2007. She also received a Public Interest Law Certificate from UC Davis for her involvement in numerous public interest classes and her work with severely emotionally disturbed children. While at UC Davis, Ms. McDowell was a member of the Advocates for the Rights of Children, Journal of Juvenile Law and Policy, NCAA Equity Sub-Committee and Women’s Tennis Team, Division I.
Ms. McDowell joined Hoover ♦ Krepelka, LLP as an associate attorney in September 2008 and was promoted to senior associate in 2012. In October of 2016, Julia McDowell was promoted to senior counsel when she earned the prestigious status of Certified Family Law Specialist, an honor by the California State Bar bestowed upon only approximately 10% of family law attorneys. She is also the recipient of the Women of Influence award by the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
As senior counsel, Ms. McDowell has vast experience handling cases of various complexity, from the most simple to the most complicated. She has dealt with every issue related to family law including custody and visitation, move-away, child and spousal support, division of property, reimbursement claims, domestic violence and attorney’s fees. Ms. McDowell has successfully handled numerous trials of varying lengths, including one that lasted two and a half weeks. She also has broad experience in working with medical, forensic, and psychological experts in regards to case preparation, trial preparation and settlement.
Prior to joining the firm, she worked as a staff attorney at Sacramento Child Advocates representing children in the dependency system. Through that position, she gained extensive experience in the areas of child custody, visitation rights, domestic violence issues and grandparents’ rights. Ms. McDowell’s experience with the dependency system provides her with a unique perspective into how violence and substance abuse can affect a family. She has lectured for the Santa Clara County Association of Legal Professionals and for a San Jose educational seminar for women of divorce. Ms. McDowell is fluent in Russian.
Ms. McDowell works as a Court Appointed Special Advocate in El Dorado County. As a CASA volunteer, Ms. McDowell is appointed by the Court to advocate for abused and neglected children in the dependency system and to provide a constant and consistent adult presence in the life of a dependent child.
During her free time, Ms. McDowell can be found at the climbing gym, exploring the beautiful landscape of California or curled up with a book. Her passion for travel has led her and her husband to visit all seven continents, including Antarctica. In 2018, Ms. McDowell and her husband created and run a non-profit organization that works predominantly in Malawi, Africa, with the focus being on education through the management of three pre-schools for 200+ children and the sponsorship of 17 bright high school students.
