Rebecca Holmes is an attorney at the Loyola Law Clinic whose practice focuses on special projects related to disasters. She leads the Disaster Lawyering Project at Loyola Law Clinic, advocating for the rights of disaster survivors of Hurricane Ida. Prior to this, she developed and implemented the United for Early Childhood Education Initiative; which achieved Paycheck Protection Plan loan forgiveness for over 40 businesses in the six-parish SE Louisiana region. This project provided support and disaster services to Louisiana’s small business owners and ensured ongoing care and education availability for Louisiana’s children during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Program partners included The United Way of Southeast Louisiana, Agenda for Children, and Rebecca’s team at the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic and Center for Social Justice.

Prior to these projects at Loyola, Rebecca advocated for persons with disabilities at the Advocacy Center. She previously served low-income clients at Southeast Louisiana Legal Services for three years and ran several outreach clinics. Rebecca is a 2016 graduate from Loyola University of New Orleans College of Law with a certificate in Social Justice and is a practicing lawyer in good standing in the State of Louisiana. She has been recognized as the 2015 Gillis Long Public Service Award recipient and was recognized again in 2016 by the Louisiana State Bar Association for her pro bono service to the community with the student Pro Bono Award. Rebecca received a 2017-2018 Borchard Foundation Fellowship to practice elder law in local low-income communities to begin her legal career and continues to use lessons from working with the elderly and persons with disabilities in her current practice. Rebecca believes that all persons should have access to the legal system to achieve justice– regardless of ability to pay.