Tovella Dowling

Tovella Dowling Legal services that create change – One good cause at a time.

Tovella Dowling, PC provides full-spectrum legal solutions and strategies to nonprofits, philanthropists, and cause-cognizant businesses that do great things. Specializing in the distinct and ever-changing legal landscape facing the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, Tovella Dowling reimagines industry best practices and adjusts to the needs of its cause-conscious clients, serving as facilitators and counselors to the causes and initiatives they advance.

Tovella Dowling, PC proudly congratulates our Managing Attorney, Mary Dowling, on her selection to the 2026 Rising Stars...
03/27/2026

Tovella Dowling, PC proudly congratulates our Managing Attorney, Mary Dowling, on her selection to the 2026 Rising Stars Super Lawyers list. This distinguished recognition is awarded to attorneys who exemplify exceptional legal expertise and a strong reputation among their peers. Fewer than 2.5% of attorneys in California are chosen each year, making this an especially noteworthy achievement. Congratulations, Mary, on this well-earned recognition!


Meet Attorney Aubrey Searcy.My greatest purpose in wanting to become an attorney, and now in being an attorney, is to he...
02/02/2026

Meet Attorney Aubrey Searcy.

My greatest purpose in wanting to become an attorney, and now in being an attorney, is to help people. More specifically, my drive has always been to take the daunting complexities of the law and reduce them to an understandable and accessible format. As the son of a small business owner, I saw first-hand the challenges that people face in running a business when they have limited resources and access to legal counsel.

In college, I witnessed further the very real implications that the law has on individuals’ everyday lives while working as a constituent aide in the Ohio House of Representatives. Hearing stories from constituents how certain legislation would make it impossible for them to run their business or negatively affect their quality of life and then observing the legislation being discussed and drafted in real time and how confusing it was to me at the time as a non-attorney, I realized that I wanted to be both an advocate and an educator who could help democratize the law for people.

Now as a practicing attorney, having worked previously as a public finance attorney helping state and local government clients and nonprofit clients access the tax-exempt bond market and now working more specifically with tax exempt nonprofit organizations, my purpose remains the same: to be a zealous advocate and produce excellent work, while making the law understandable and navigable for my clients.

Working for Tovella Dowling, I am excited to bring that same commitment to the clients we serve. Our firm’s mission aligns deeply with my own: empowering nonprofit organizations and mission driven entities by helping them navigate complex legal and regulatory landscapes with confidence. I am motivated each day by the opportunity to translate intricate rules into practical guidance, allowing clients to focus on what matters most - advancing their mission and serving their communities.

My greatest purpose in wanting to become an attorney, and now in being an attorney, is to help people. More specifically...
02/02/2026

My greatest purpose in wanting to become an attorney, and now in being an attorney, is to help people. More specifically, my drive has always been to take the daunting complexities of the law and reduce them to an understandable and accessible format. As the son of a small business owner, I saw first-hand the challenges that people face in running a business when they have limited resources and access to legal counsel.

In college, I witnessed further the very real implications that the law has on individuals’ everyday lives while working as a constituent aide in the Ohio House of Representatives. Hearing stories from constituents how certain legislation would make it impossible for them to run their business or negatively affect their quality of life and then observing the legislation being discussed and drafted in real time and how confusing it was to me at the time as a non-attorney, I realized that I wanted to be both an advocate and an educator who could help democratize the law for people.

Now as a practicing attorney, having worked previously as a public finance attorney helping state and local government clients and nonprofit clients access the tax-exempt bond market and now working more specifically with tax exempt nonprofit organizations, my purpose remains the same: to be a zealous advocate and produce excellent work, while making the law understandable and navigable for my clients.

Working for Tovella Dowling, I am excited to bring that same commitment to the clients we serve. Our firm’s mission aligns deeply with my own: empowering nonprofit organizations and mission driven entities by helping them navigate complex legal and regulatory landscapes with confidence. I am motivated each day by the opportunity to translate intricate rules into practical guidance, allowing clients to focus on what matters most - advancing their mission and serving their communities.

Season’s greetings from all of us at Tovella Dowling PC. Thank you for your continued trust and support as we work towar...
12/25/2025

Season’s greetings from all of us at Tovella Dowling PC. Thank you for your continued trust and support as we work toward lasting impact. Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season.

Grateful for our team, clients, and the communities they uplift. Happy Thanksgiving from Tovella Dowling, PC.
11/27/2025

Grateful for our team, clients, and the communities they uplift. Happy Thanksgiving from Tovella Dowling, PC.

This Veterans Day, we honor those who serve — and the nonprofits that stand beside them.At Tovella Dowling, we’re proud ...
11/11/2025

This Veterans Day, we honor those who serve — and the nonprofits that stand beside them.

At Tovella Dowling, we’re proud to support mission-driven organizations providing vital resources to veterans and their families.

To all who serve, and to all who support — thank you.

Congratulations to our Managing Attorney, Mary Dowling, on being named a 2025 Leaders of Influence in Law honoree by the...
10/20/2025

Congratulations to our Managing Attorney, Mary Dowling, on being named a 2025 Leaders of Influence in Law honoree by the San Diego Business Journal!

Click here to see the full Special Section:https://www.sdbj.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/SDBJ-Leaders-of-Influence-in-Law-2025.pdf

Meet Attorney Jennifer Marshall. My path to the law began with activism. As a young advocate, I learned quickly that rai...
10/14/2025

Meet Attorney Jennifer Marshall.

My path to the law began with activism. As a young advocate, I learned quickly that raising a sign or chanting in the streets was about more than just the moment — it was about giving voice to people and communities who had long been unheard, raising my voice for causes bigger than myself, standing alongside communities seeking justice, and working to ensure that those without power were given opportunity. Those early experiences shaped my understanding of justice: that it isn’t something handed down, it’s something built when ordinary people decide to stand up for one another.

That same conviction led me to a career in public service. For over a decade, I served in government at the local, state, and federal levels, working to ensure that the rights and resources of everyday people were protected. Working in government, including my time at the Illinois Attorney General’s Charitable Trust Bureau, I carried forward those lessons from activism: standing up for transparency, ensuring accountability, and protecting charitable funds so that they could reach the communities they were intended to serve. Each investigation, audit, and enforcement action was not just about compliance with the law — it was about trust, fairness, and upholding the public good.

Helping others has never been a side note to my career — it has been the throughline, the thread that has tied together every chapter of my life. Activism taught me courage. Government service taught me resilience. And now, working alongside changemakers at Tovella Dowling, I see how my “why” continues to unfold: to bring clarity, accountability, and protection to the organizations that are themselves helping others.

For me, helping others is not a single act — it is a commitment to continuous learning and adaptability, to meeting challenges head-on, and to building systems that last. It is about using the law not as a barrier, but as a foundation, so that nonprofits can thrive, communities can be served, and meaningful change can endure.

Meet Megan Rose, Tovella Dowling PC's Registration and Compliance Specialist. Books have always been my window into new ...
10/09/2025

Meet Megan Rose, Tovella Dowling PC's Registration and Compliance Specialist.

Books have always been my window into new worlds. Each page is an invitation to learn, to adapt, and to see through someone else’s perspective. Stories remind me that resilience is often found in the most unexpected places and that growth comes not from knowing everything, but from remaining open to learning along the way.

This love of continuous learning and adaptability shapes how I approach my work with nonprofits. Compliance is never static — the regulations evolve, the requirements shift, and every client’s journey is unique. I see each challenge not as a roadblock but as a new chapter, an opportunity to grow and refine. Just as a good book encourages us to stay curious and keep turning the page, I aim to bring that same mindset to supporting clients: staying flexible, absorbing new information, and finding creative ways forward.

My “why” is to help nonprofits feel confident that, even in the face of change, they have a steady partner ready to adapt alongside them. By grounding my work in curiosity, continuous learning, and resilience, I ensure that organizations can focus on writing their own powerful stories of impact — knowing their compliance foundation is strong.

Nonprofits shape tomorrow by taking action today — serving, advocating, and leading change. Every step you take now buil...
08/07/2025

Nonprofits shape tomorrow by taking action today — serving, advocating, and leading change. Every step you take now builds a better future for the communities you serve.

Today, we honor the courage and sacrifice that shaped our nation. May this day remind us of the value of freedom and our...
07/04/2025

Today, we honor the courage and sacrifice that shaped our nation. May this day remind us of the value of freedom and our shared responsibility to uphold it.

Wishing everyone a safe and meaningful 4th of July.

Address

501 W Broadway, Suite 1540
San Diego, CA
92101

Telephone

+16199309332

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