Attorney - Shana D. Higa

Shana D. Higa focuses her practice in Criminal and DUI Defense, Immigration Removal and Exclusion Defense, and Family Law. She is licensed to practice in both Arizona State and Federal District Courts. Her concentration is aggressively ensuring that Constitutional Rights are protected and that every individual is treated with dignity.

Ms. Higa was a Deputy Public Defender in Yuma where she gained significant experience in criminal defense and handled a large variety of cases. She has defended individuals accused of serious felonies such as kidnapping, drug importation and aggravated domestic violence, misdemeanors, and probation violations. Her DUI defense practice ranges from simple misdemeanor DUI to felony aggravated DUI.

Prior to her work in the Yuma County Public Defender's Office, Ms. Higa worked for DNA - People's Legal Services, Inc. in the Navajo Nation in Tuba City, Arizona. As an attorney for legal aid, she practiced family law in both the Navajo Nation Tribal Court and Arizona State Courts. She represented clients in divorce, protection order, child custody, and child support proceedings.

While in law school at the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ms. Higa participated substantially in the Immigration Law Clinic. Her advocacy skills allowed a number of individuals to remain in the United State after being placed in removal proceedings. She also was a Hayward Burns Fellow at the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project in Florence, Arizona, where she represented detained non-citizens in removal and exclusion cases.

Ms. Higa's experience in Criminal Defense and Immigration law allow her to provide comprehensive services to her clients who are not United States Citizens accused of crimes and who are placed into removal or exclusion proceedings as a result of their criminal case.

Current Employment Position:

Associate

Areas of Practice:

Criminal & DUI Defense
Divorce
Family Law
Immigration Law

Bar Admissions:

Arizona, 2004
U.S. District Court, District of Arizona

Education:

University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, Tucson, Arizona, 2004, Juris Doctor

Honors: Dean's List

Honors: Recipient, Excellence in First-Year Writing Award

Honors: Recipient, Lewis and Roca Fellowship based on writing skills

Honors: Co-Chair, National Lawyer's Guild

Professional Associations and Memberships:

Arizona State Bar Association
Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice

Past Employment Positions:

Yuma County Public Defender's Office, Deputy Public Defender, 2006-2007
DNA - People's Legal Services, Inc., 2004-2005

Languages:

English
Spanish