Captain April Ellsworth

Captain April Ellsworth attended Army ROTC at the University of Arizona and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Signal Corps in 2004. She served overseas in Germany and spent 15 months in Iraq heading a communications section for an Apache helicopter unit. After serving for five years on active duty, April took command in the reserves in Tucson, Arizona, and began law school at the University of Arizona.

Her decision to pursue a law degree came from her experience in Iraq. As the senior ranking female in the unit during deployment, April volunteered to serve an additional duty as a victim advocate. She wanted to ensure that her soldiers were heard and encouraged assertiveness and communication. April also prepared them for potential outcomes, particularly the negative social consequences of reporting sexual harassment and assault. Through this process, she learned the importance of advocacy in maintaining morale, resiliency and discipline in a unit.

April believes a lawyer by trade is an advocate and everyone should have access to one regardless of their financial resources or social standing. Upon graduating, she plans to continue public service in the area of criminal defense by serving indigent defendants, and ensuring basic constitutional rights are afforded to all.