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Attorney Maria Shinn’s commitment to legal excellence was evident even at Cleveland-Marshall Law School, from which she graduated in 1997 magna cum laude. After earning her J.D., Maria practiced at a Cleveland, Ohio, law firm where she prepared wills and handled probate matters and workers’ compensation claims. She started her own law firm (Maria L. Shinn, LLC) in 2000.

Maria strongly believes that every couple and family, both traditional and non-traditional, deserve the same quality legal services and the same legal protections for themselves and their loved ones. She and her partner have three children, so she knows first-hand what it means to be a parent, to be in a committed relationship and to be part of a family. This experience gives Maria exceptional insight into the broad range of issues her clients, both traditional and non-traditional, face. This insight is another reason why you will receive superb legal services from Maria.

Maria also believes in giving back to the community. Since 1998, she has been a volunteer attorney with the Visiting Nurse Association of Cleveland Hospice. In this capacity, she provides free legal services to hospice patients. Her services often involve preparing wills, powers of attorney and health care directives and providing guidance to patients’ families in administering patients’ estates. Serving terminally ill individuals, besides being personally rewarding, helps Maria better understand the legal and personal needs of all her clients.

Admissions

• Ohio
• United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio

Education

• Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, 1997 J.D.; magna cum laude
• Muskingum College, 1990 B.A.; summa cum laude

Professional Associations

• Ohio State Bar Association
• Ohio Women’s Bar Association
• Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
• Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Section of OSBA
• Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law Section of CMBA

Articles

• Co-Parenting Has No Legal Status In Ohio, Northeast Ohio PFLAG Newsletter (July/August 2011, Vol. 42, No. 7-8)

Presentations

• Estate Planning Basics, Continuing Legal Education Seminar for 3.25 credit hours, sponsored by LawReviewCle, Cleveland (Feb. 2012)
• Legal Issues for LGBT Individuals, Couples, and Families, MetroHealth Gay-Straight Alliance (Feb. 2011)
• Protecting our community: legal issues in the LGBT community, PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbian and Gays) Cleveland (2010)
• Estate planning for the non-traditional family: ways to protect you, your partner and your children, MetroHealth Gay-Straight Alliance (2010)  
• Legal protections for the non-traditional family, MetroHealth GSA Mini-Film Series and Panel, co-sponsored by Equality Ohio and PFLAG Cleveland (2008)
• Legal protections for the LGBT community, Cleveland Couples Together (2008) 
• Estate planning for the non-traditional family, Greater Cleveland Adoption and Foster Care Fair at LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland (2007)