About Laura
Laura Shaver has become a distinguished criminal defense lawyer and has earned a reputation of being a highly-skilled and fearless litigator among peers in the defense community and prosecutors.
Since 2011, Laura has focused on defending adults and juveniles charged with felonies and misdemeanors across Washington. She has handled hundreds of criminal cases and secured powerful results for her clients at every stage—from investigation to trial.
Laura Shaver is a strategic and relentless trial attorney with experience in serious felony defense, post-conviction relief, and select civil rights matters. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from San Diego State University, a Certificate in Human Rights from the University of Oxford, and a J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law.
During law school, Laura worked at the San Diego Public Defender’s Office, where she worked closely with attorneys on homicide and third-strike cases in the Major Felony Unit. She also volunteered with the California Innocence Project, assisting staff attorneys in investigating claims of wrongful conviction.
After law school, Laura returned home, to the Pacific Northwest. She served as a public defender in Yakima County, where she was lead counsel on felony and misdemeanor cases.
Now in private practice, Laura handles some of the most serious criminal matters in Washington—including complex multi-jurisdiction cases and co-defendant trials. She is known for her aggressive litigation style, tactical precision, and unwavering loyalty to her clients.
Laura is deeply committed to the broader legal community through teaching, writing, legislative advocacy, and volunteer service. She served on the Board of the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (WACDL) from 2017 to 2020. She has also collaborated with the Washington Innocence Project and other criminal system stakeholders on policy efforts to prevent wrongful convictions.
Her leadership and impact have been widely recognized. In 2011, she received the Charles T. Bumer Civil Libertarian Award. In 2019, she was honored with WACDL’s Anthony Savage Award. She went on to receive the Snohomish County Bar Association President’s Award in 2023 and WACDL’s President’s Award in 2024—all recognizing her outstanding contributions to the legal community.
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