ABOUT THE FIRM

The law firm of R. Shanti Brien, Attorney at Law was established in 2004. Shanti Brien, the principal attorney, and the other accomplished attorneys she works with, represent clients in the direct appeal of their convictions and sentences in the California Courts of Appeal and the Ninth Circuit, as well as in habeas corpus proceedings in California and federal courts.

The firm provides each of its clients with individualized attention. The case load is small so that in every case the record is exhaustively reviewed, clients are often visited in person, each of the client’s concerns and suggestions is considered, and family members are consulted where appropriate. Briefs are thoroughly researched and impeccably written. Oral argument is requested in virtually every case. In all, clients and their serious situations are given the utmost respect and attention.

These are the types of errors that typically can be addressed on appeal or in a petition for writ of habeas corpus:

• Errors regarding the admission or exclusion of evidence.
• Ineffective assistance of trial counsel at trial or at sentencing.
• The unlawfulness of the sentence, including restitution and probation conditions.
• Misconduct by the prosecutor.
• Insufficiency of the evidence at trial.
• Denial of parole.

The attorneys at the firm also have experience in civil appeals and have won appellate victories for clients in the Fifth and Ninth Circuits.

To contact us, please click here.

Latest News About the Firm

Shanti Brien recently secured reversal of three counts of importation of methamphetamine under 21 U.S.C. §§ 952(a) & 960, in a published opinion issued by the Ninth Circuit. (Alaimalo v. U.S. --- F.3d ----, 2011 WL 2463509 (9th Cir. 2011)). The petitioner/appellant was a federal prisoner who had represented himself in three prior habeas petitions. The victory was secured even though another panel of the Ninth Circuit had previously denied the claim and the current panel considered briefing on en banc review.

A new book published by the American Bar Association, The Road to Independence: 101 Women's Journeys to Starting Their Own Law Firms (2011, ABA Commission on Women in the Profession), features Shanti Brien as one of the 101 women who describes the road to owning her own law firm. You can look inside the book, read a summary, and purchase the book at www.ababooks.org under "New Releases."