Shannen earned her law degree from UC Irvine School of Law. During her time in law school, she served as an associate editor for the UC Irvine Law Review and UC Irvine Journal of International, Transnational, and Comparative Law. Additionally, Shannen dedicated time in law school to working and advocating for the immigrant community through pro bono work in several immigration non-profits in Los Angeles County. Shannen’s passion for public service led her to work in the Employment Law and Wage and Hour department at Harvard Law’s Legal Aid Bureau in Cambridge, MA before graduating from law school.

Before law school, Shannen graduated cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from UC Irvine with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and History.