Nancy Sheehan honored as Trial Lawyer of the Year

Nancy Sheehan, a partner at the Porter Scott law firm in Sacramento, has been honored by the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates as its 2014 Trial Lawyer of the Year.

Sheehan, 57, is the first woman to receive the award in the more than 30 years it has been bestowed, and is her firm’s second partner to be recognized by the board. Russ Porter, a founding member of the firm in 1976, received the award in 2003.

Being first is nothing new to Sheehan, a defense lawyer for employers. She was the first woman to make partner at Porter Scott “and continues to lead by example in demonstrating the respect and courtesy towards others,” according to a statement by the firm.

“It is a wonderful honor to receive this award from a group of people who are not only the best litigators in this region, but also my professional peers and, most importantly, my friends,” said Sheehan, in a statement.

The American Board of Trial Advocates is a national, peer-reviewed organization of trial lawyers dedicated to maintaining the constitutional right to a trial in civil litigation.

Sheehan’s record in 30 employment cases before juries in state and federal courts has put her in demand by employers. Her clients have included the Board of Regents of the University of California and Sacramento County.

Sheehan serves on the board of Pacific Coast Charities. She also is a volunteer mediator for the federal court and a member of the Sacramento County Superior Court Civil Advisory Committee.

She earned an undergraduate degree from Long Island University in 1979, and a law degree from the McGeorge School of Law in 1983.

This story was originally published April 2, 2015 at 5:54 PM with the headline "Nancy Sheehan honored as Trial Lawyer of the Year."