Pro Bono Volunteer of the Month-November 2020

Shaina Plaksin of Knepper & Clark LLC

Shaina grew up in Las Vegas and attended UNLV Honors College. While an undergraduate, she worked in Congresswoman Dina Titus’ district office. Shaina helped her constituents navigate the 2008 housing crisis and other consumer related issues. This experience solidified her path toward law school.  Shaina received her Juris Doctorate from UNLV Boyd School of Law, graduating magna cum laude.  After law school, she clerked for the U.S. District Court and is now with Knepper & Clark LLC, a consumer protection litigation firm.

Shaina first became involved with pro bono work at Boyd School of Law. As a 1L, Shaina was an Education Surrogate and as a 3L, she participated in the Partners in Pro Bono Program. As soon as her clerkship ended, she took on a pro bono asylum case. When she began working in private practice, she made it clear that pro bono work was important to her, and her firm has been supportive from the outset.

When we asked Shaina why she does pro bono work, she said “Pro bono is an integral part of why I became an attorney. I was raised with a strong sense of giving back to the community, and I viewed the legal field as the way to best utilize my skills to help people.  I was a Public Interest Fellow at Boyd School of Law. There has never been a question of whether I would do pro bono work, just how to do so. I am fortunate that my law firm supports my pro bono efforts.  Pro bono has allowed me to gain knowledge about other areas of law, and it is also now a great perk to get CLE credit for pro bono work.“

When we asked Shaina to share a story about a memorable client, she said “I have enjoyed helping with the Landlord-Tenant Ask-A-Lawyer Program this year. I talk to 4-6 people every session and help guide them in the right direction. Some already know what to do and are just looking for confirmation that they are on the right path. Others are completely overwhelmed and need step-by-step advice. Everyone is grateful for the opportunity to consult with an attorney, when hiring an attorney is often cost-prohibitive. Given the pandemic, and with the area of landlord-tenant law in constant motion, being able to provide support to those struggling is very rewarding.”

For her commitment to pro bono, we honor Shaina Plaksin as our November Volunteer of the Month.