Expertise:
Ms. Kapri's expertise includes criminal justice and human trafficking.
Hobbies/Sports:
Traveling, International affairs
Education Degrees:
JD, Gonzaga University (2005); Master's Degree in International Relations and Law, University of British Columbia, Canada; Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy, Eastern Washington University (1999)
Affiliations Awards:
Washington State Bar Association; United States Fulbright Scholar Alumni; Thomas More Scholar Alumni; United Nations Graduate Summer Program Alumni
Charity:
Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children; Domestic Violence Unit, Prosecutor's Office; Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery; Children’s Miracle Network Telethon; Women's Run for Life, YWCA; American Red Cross; American Diabetes Association; American Cancer Society; Toys for Tots Foundation; Former President, Multi-Cultural Law Caucus, Gonzaga University; Former Member, Steering Committee, International Conference for the Institute for Action Against Hate; Fundraiser, Gonzaga Public Interest Law Project; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; United Nations Volunteers World Summit on the Information Society
Number Of Years In Profession:
7
Number Of Years In Current Position:
5
What Does He/She Attribute Success To:
She attributes her success to being a team player and thinking outside the box.
Why did you become involved in your profession or industry?:
She became involved in her profession after graduating from law school as a Thomas More Scholar and becoming a Fulbright Scholar on human trafficking. The Fulbright Fellowship provided her with the opportunity to spend a year focusing on the international problem of human trafficking while giving speeches on the issue and publishing articles to raise awareness. When she returned to the United States, she began working as a court research attorney for the chief judge of the Washington State Court of Appeals. In that role, she assisted in drafting more than a hundred judicial opinions that affirmed or reversed the rulings of the lower trial courts. These cases included a wide range of civil and criminal legal matters, from first-degree murder to medical malpractice and negligence issues. Her position with the Court of Appeals led to her current occupation as a prosecutor on various cases.
Extended Bio Profile:
Ms. Kapri has worked with the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Brasilia, Brazil, and Washington, D.C., on international human rights and issues impacting women and children around the world. Her research suggests unique, innovative approaches to solving the serious global problems of gender inequality and the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and assisting the world’s least developed countries in economic development that will lift women and children from poverty. She has published several articles on human trafficking, the world’s fastest-growing criminal activity, which impacts more than 120 million men, women, and children every day. She is currently working on her first book on the subject. In addition, Ms. Kapri’s deep commitment to public service has been evident in her more than 1,000 hours of volunteer work for a variety of organizations at the local, national, and international levels. In law school, she volunteered as the president of the Multi-Cultural Law Caucus (MLC). In this role for two and a half years, she organized food drives for the local food bank, clothing drives for homeless women and children, book and toy drives for children fighting cancer, and Christmas toy drives for underprivileged children; created a program that recruited law students to tutor immigrants in the community who were learning English as a second language; and helped coordinate a conference that brought together attorneys and members of the community to increase advocacy for individuals with mental illness. Ms. Kapri was also a member of the steering committee that coordinated the first International Conference for the Institute for Action Against Hate. She helped raise more than $10,000 for the Gonzaga Public Interest Law Project, gaining local support and donations from a number of local and national businesses. Ms. Kapri’s volunteer efforts extended to the international level when she worked in Thailand for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, and in Switzerland for the UN Volunteers World Summit on the Information Society. As an online research volunteer, she spent more than eight months and 400 hours assisting these projects. In support of the World Summit, her research and writing focused on how volunteers are using technology to help the UN reach its millennium development goals.
Position Responsibilities and Duties:
Working on various cases within the different levels of the criminal justice system; Prosecuting cases in District Court, Superior Court, the Court of Appeals, and the Washington State Supreme Court; Handling diverse criminal cases, including domestic violence, drinking and driving, assault, reckless endangerment, and child abuse and neglect; Acting as an appellate prosecutor on serious felonies before the Washington State Court of Appeals and the Washington State Supreme Court; Prosecuting high-profile murder cases; Advocating on behalf of victims and children in contempt of court; Handling paternity establishment and child support matters in the family law division
Awards/Honors:
Daily Point of Light Award (2007); United Nations Volunteer Team of the Year Award (2007); United States Fulbright Scholar; Thomas More Scholar; Who's Who: American Law Students; Associate Editor, Law Review; Associate Editor, Across Borders: Journal of International Law
Where Will You Be In 5 Years:
In five years, Ms. Kapri plans to combine her passion for law and international affairs into an international legal journalism career.