SHAUNA CURPHEY
562.256.4479
shauna@girlwrites.com
BAR ADMISSION
Licensed to practice in Oregon, 2006.
EDUCATION
Juris Doctor, Loyola Law School - Los Angeles, CA, May 2006
Summa Cum Laude, Ranked 2nd of 333 students in graduating class
Alumni Association Board of Governors' Award (awarded to three graduating students for outstanding service to the school and community) (2006)
Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, Staff Member (2004-2005), Editor (2005-2006)
Public Interest Scholar (Full Scholarship Recipient)
Public Interest Law Foundation, Board Member (2004-2006)
St. Thomas More Honor Society, Member (2004-2006)
Master of Arts in Communications, University of Washington - Seattle, WA, 1999
Master's thesis: To Tell Their Own Stories: Tribal Journalism in Washington State
4.0 G.P.A
Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Mass Communication
Bachelor of Arts, Evergreen State College - Olympia, WA, April 1995
LEGAL EXPERIENCE
Northwest Constitutional Rights Center – Portland, OR
Loyola Law School Public Interest Fellow Attorney, Fall 2006 – present
Represent individuals in claims for violations of federal constitutional rights, investigate civil rights complaints, interview potential clients and evaluate legal claims; draft Freedom of Information Act administrative appeals, conduct trainings to educate community members on their rights during police encounters, supervise law student interns.
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles – Los Angeles, CA, Spring 2006
Legal Intern, Central Office Eviction Defense Unit
Represented tenants in unlawful detainer cases as a certified law student; conducted legal research and prepared unlawful detainer cases for trial; negotiated on tenants’ behalf to settle cases before trial; counseled tenants on landlord tenant disputes.
Loyola Law School – Los Angeles, CA, Fall 2005
Civil Rights Litigation Research Assistant to Professor Gary Williams
Researched and wrote memoranda on state and federal causes of action and affirmative defenses that arise in racial profiling, employment discrimination and marital status discrimination litigation.
Heller Ehrman, LLP – Los Angeles, CA, Summer 2005
Summer Associate - (permanent offer extended)
Researched and wrote memoranda on federal discovery, choice of law, equal protection, voting rights and other substantive legal issues; attended trainings on research, depositions, trial advocacy and other aspects of litigation.
American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California - Los Angeles, CA, Spring 2005
Legal Intern
Researched and wrote memoranda on substantive issues in federal and state constitutional law; conducted factual investigation and participated in strategy meetings to prepare cases for litigation.
Los Angeles County Superior Court - Los Angeles, CA, Summer 2004
Judicial Extern for Honorable Judith Chirlin
Researched and wrote bench memoranda on motions covering a wide range of procedural and substantive civil issues; observed hearings and trials; attended lectures on various aspects of litigation.
LEGAL PUBLICATIONS
Shauna Curphey, United States v. Lifshitz: Warrantless Computer Monitoring and the Fourth Amendment, 38 LOY. L.A. L. REV. 2249 (2005).
Shauna Curphey & Alejandro Queral, “A Path to Curbing Racial Profiling: An Overview and a Call to Action,” Oregon Civil Rights Newsletter, Oregon State Bar Civil Rights Section, Sept. 2006.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Freelance Writer - Long Beach, CA, 2001 – 2003
Wrote news stories on women's issues and public policy for Women's Enews, a national independent news service. Additional work has appeared in the Orlando Weekly, Washington Law and Politics, Real Change, Meridian magazine, Tacoma's Business Examiner and Healthy Answers magazine.
Microsoft Corporation for Write Stuff Agency - Redmond, WA, 2000 – 2001
Technical Editor
Managed weekly editorial production schedule; wrote articles on career planning, employment trends and distance learning for the Encarta eLearning Center on the Microsoft Network.
Young Women’s Christian Association of Seattle-King-Snohomish County - Seattle, WA, 1999 – 2000
Program Coordinator
Conducted an assessment of children and youth human service needs in King and Snohomish counties; served on the Juvenile Domestic Violence Task Force (a committee addressing domestic violence in area high schools); wrote grant applications to fund science education programs for at-risk young women.
University of Washington Department of Communication - Seattle, WA, 1997 – 1999
Faculty/Teaching Assistant
Responsible for over 100 students per quarter; taught critical thinking and writing skills; copyedited academic manuscripts.
American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana - New Orleans, LA, 1995 - 1996
Administrative Assistant
Wrote and redesigned Louisiana Liberties, the statewide membership newsletter for the ACLU of Louisiana. Screened incoming written complaints for legal merit. Recruited and supervised legal interns.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Lawyers Without Borders (2003), Online Editor and Volunteer Coordinator for BorderLines newsletter.
Public Counsel (2003), General Relief Advocacy Project Volunteer and On-site Advocate at L.A. County Department of Public Social Services.
North American Street Newspaper Association (2001 - 2002), Volunteer Grant Writer, wrote a successful grant proposal to fund the Street News Service, an online syndication service for newspapers that advocate on behalf of the poor and homeless and are sold by homeless men and women to earn an income.