Jennifer Brown Shaw is a unique legal resource in Sacramento. She provides training, investigation, client counseling, and litigation services to both private and public sector employers, and publishes a weekly column on employment law issues in The Daily Recorder.

Since she was admitted to the Bar in 1994, Jennifer has explored several substantive areas of law, including public finance and commercial litigation. For the past four years, however, Jennifer has focused her practice exclusively on labor and employment law.

Born in the small town of Highland, California, Jennifer moved to Sacramento during first year of high school when her father accepted a transfer to the area. Jennifer attended Stevenson College at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she majored in Economics, and studied French.

After graduation, Jennifer accepted a position as an au pair in Brussels, Belgium, where she learned to adore chocolate and "moules et frites" (mussels and fries). After several idiomatic faux pas, Jennifer gained a firm footing in the French language (which she has now lost!).

Following her stint in Brussels, Jennifer traveled through Europe for a few months with her sister, Dana, and a backpack. To her mother's dismay, the two young women spent many a night sleeping in train stations and dining on bread and cheese.

Recognizing the need for full employment after her lengthy vacation, Jennifer decided to follow in the footsteps of her great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother and try her hand at teaching. Due to the significant need for teachers in Sacramento, Jennifer was able to obtain an "emergency" credential and immediately began working as a substitute teacher.

To repeated cries of "sink the sub," Jennifer worked in various schools teaching a wide variety of subjects. One of her assignments, at a local middle school, required Jennifer to demonstrate her expertise in two relatively unfamiliar activities (at least to her): basketball and break dancing. Although she loved teaching, shortly thereafter, Jennifer decided a change in career was in the cards and began studying for the law school admission test.

Jennifer attended law school at the University of San Francisco. After graduation, she began practicing law in the Sacramento office of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. When she realized her passion for teaching and employment law could be combined, Jennifer pursued a position working along side John Adkisson, a recognized and well-respected employment specialist and trainer, at Schachter Kristoff Orenstein & Berkowitz.

Jennifer currently works as an associate at New-York based Jackson Lewis Schnitzler & Krupman, where she has continued her focus on employment training and maintains an active
employment practice.

Since 1994, Jennifer has been a member of the Voluntary Legal Services Program Committee. She is currently the vice chair of the Committee and is enthusiastically planning VLSP's Twentieth Anniversary Celebration. Jennifer also has been active in the Sacramento County Bar Association and the Barrister's Club of Sacramento.

In her spare time, Jennifer and her husband, Geoff, enjoy renovating their River Park home and playing with their two dogs, Madison and Buddy.