Shayna Swanson

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT SHAYNA SWANSON

Shayna Swanson is a law clerk at Chapman and Cutler LLP, where she concentrates on finance law. Having successfully passed the Illinois Bar exam, she will be sworn in within the month and is poised to join the firm as a junior associate.Shayna earned her Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, distinguishing herself through persistence, intellectual curiosity, and a deep commitment to community engagement. She gained practical experience in tax law at the Washington University Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, where she advocated for clients in complex tax disputes. As a research assistant to Professor Conor Clarke, Shayna contributed to scholarship on the intellectual history of taxation and income, further honing her analytical skills.Her academic accomplishments include receiving the prestigious Mary Collier Hitchcock Prize for her publication,\"The State of the Police in Modernity: The Convergence of Two Forms of Punishment,\" awarded to one graduating J.D. member of the Washington University Jurisprudence Review for exceptional writing. Shayna was also honored with the Excellence in Oral Advocacy award, recognizing her outstanding performance in legal practice.Outside the classroom, Shayna served as Associate Managing Editor for the Washington University Jurisprudence Review (Vol. 17) and as a Staff Editor (Vol. She also demonstrated leadership and commitment to diversity and inclusion as Social Chair of OUTLaw during her 2L year.Before attending law school, Shayna graduated summa cum laude from Howard University with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Legal Communications. As captain of Howard’s Division I softball team, she led her teammates to their first conference championship in over a decade, exemplifying her leadership and dedication.Shayna is passionate about law, justice, and advocacy, and thrives on engaging with complex legal and policy issues. In her free time, she enjoys creative writing, staying active, and spending quality time with friends and family.