Shanan earned a Bachelor of Science degree from U.C. Davis and went on to complete her Juris Doctorate from Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon as a Trustee Merit Scholar. While attending law school, she served as Production Editor of the Willamette Law Review and a member of the Inns of Court.

With over twenty-five years of experience, Shanan focuses her practice on public entity defense, from premises liability to extensive experience in civil rights cases in both federal and state court. Her litigation expertise encompasses every phase of civil litigation from motion practice to trial and appellate review. Shanan has successfully obtained unanimous jury verdicts for her clients and has litigated extensively in the appellate courts, including oral argument before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on numerous occasions.

Over the last two decades, she has successfully defended law enforcement agencies and officials in numerous lawsuits including wrongful death, use of force, and vehicle pursuit cases. She has served as a member of the committee for the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) responsible for reviewing and revising POST vehicle pursuit guidelines.

Shanan is a member of the Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California and Nevada (ADCNC). She served as Article Editor for the California Litigation Review. She is authorized to practice in all California state courts and admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Eastern, Central, Northern, and Southern Districts of California, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Shanan is a past board member of UCP of Sacramento and North California and has received Bank of America’s Neighborhood Excellence Initiative Local Hero Award for community service.