Stephany Reaves

Her practice focuses on civil litigation and trials in a wide range of industries, including the energy and technology industries.

She also maintains an active pro bono practice representing indigent clients at trial and on appeal. In one recent, notable case, she successfully defended a pro bono client against federal criminal charges in a co-counsel with local public defenders. A jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia returned a full acquittal in the client’s favor, avoiding a mandatory life sentence.

Ms. Reaves was named to the Top 40 Under 40 list by The National Black Lawyers (NBJ) in 2023 and Lawyers of Color’s 2022 Hot List. The NBL recognizes outstanding reputation among peers, the judiciary and the public. The annual Hot List honors diverse, junior and mid-level attorneys who show promise in their careers and demonstrate a strong commitment to advancing diversity in the legal profession.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Reaves served as a Public Defender Service staff attorney and supervising attorney in the District of Columbia Superior Court where she represented over 100 clients facing felony charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. In that role, Ms. Reaves successfully tried both bench trials and jury trials to verdict, including securing acquittals for clients facing mandatory felony sentences. Before her work as a public defender, Ms. Reaves served as a law clerk for Judge Diana Gribbon Motz of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. 

While attending Stanford Law School, Ms. Reaves was a member of the Stanford Supreme Court Litigation Clinic and the Stanford Criminal Defense Clinic. Additionally, Ms. Reaves was the co-editor-in-chief for the Stanford Journal of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.

Prior to law school, Ms. Reaves taught high school math in Washington, D.C., as part of the Teach for America program. She began her education at Yale University, where she earned a B.A. in Political Science while running varsity cross-country and track, followed by her M.A. in Teaching Secondary Mathematics from American University.