Volunteer Spotlight: Luke Howarth

How long have you practiced law?

 I’ve been practicing for just over three years.

What drove you to pursue law?

If you would ask my mother, she would tell you I was born to do it. I’ve never shied away from a healthy negotiation, even from a very young age. But to me, it was an opportunity to use that natural skillset and passion to help others who need the help. As with any profession, lawyers are hired to help people in situations that are extremely difficult for the average person. I love being able to navigate through those situations with folks and see the positive impact on the other side.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself, or something you enjoy!

My favorite thing in the world to do is spend time with my wife, Genevieve, and our one-year-old puppy, Seuss. They both have such wonderful energy and they make me feel so happy all the time—even when Seuss chooses to cuddle with Genevieve instead of me. What can I say? I’d make the same choice if I were him.

What made you want to get involved with the WCA?

I work for a large corporation. While I love my job, there aren’t a lot of warm fuzzy feelings associated with corporate law. What drove me to pursue law in the first place was the opportunity to help those in need. I can do that with the WCA. I love all the work I do, but I do my day job for the paycheck and my volunteer work for my soul.

What drives your passion for starting the great work that you do with the Women’s and Children’s Alliance?

The people receiving help from the WCA truly need it. I was fortunate enough to grow up with a wonderful family in a great household, but it was never lost on me that not everyone had the same fortune. I know how much of a role my family and household played in my overall development, confidence, and outlook on life, and I want to help others experience that. While I know I can’t do it single-handedly, the volunteer lawyer piece was somewhat of an underrepresented piece of the work the WCA does to help. I saw a great opportunity to join this organization in helping those in need. Everyone deserves to love their life. Any piece I can play in helping someone love their life makes it worth every second.

What is something you wish more people knew about the issues you face when helping domestic abuse and sexual assault survivors?

Anyone can be affected by domestic abuse or sexual assault. It doesn’t matter where you live, what you do for work, how much money you have, or even how prominent you are in the community. These are issues that are far more widespread than I ever imagined before working with the WCA. It’s important to keep in mind that we don’t always know what’s going on in people’s personal lives, which makes showing kindness and compassion toward others from all backgrounds even more important. You never know when your smile and hello will be the nicest things someone sees in a day. To a survivor, they may represent something they’ve felt is lacking for quite some time—hope.

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