Shani Braffman Amen

Shani Braffman Amen is a Certified Family Law Specialist, certified by the State Bar of California's Board of Legal Specialization.  As partner at Elkins Kalt Weintraub Reuben Gartside LLP, Ms. Amen represents clients in Los Angeles, California in matters of family law. These include matters of paternity (parentage), dissolution of marriage, prenuptial agreements, post-judgment modifications, custody, and restraining orders in domestic violence cases. While she is an experienced litigator who is known for her passionate advocacy in the courtroom, she also has strong negotiation skills that allow her clients to obtain settlements that resolve their cases quickly and successfully.

Ms. Amen attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.  She then studied law at University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she earned her Juris Doctor degree. Upon completing her education, Ms. Amen began representing clients in the State of California in 1999. 

In addition to practicing family law, Ms. Amen is also an adjunct professor of community property at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law, where she combines her talent for teaching with her knowledge of the law.  As a professor of community property, she instructs upper level law students on topics including characterization of property in marriage and divorce, fiduciary duties of spouses, post-martial agreements, premarital agreements, transmutations, liability for debts, reimbursements, community interests in growth of separate property, and date of separation analysis.

Ms. Amen is a member of the family law sections of both the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Beverly Hills Bar Association, where she regularly participates in legal education events.  She is active in her community, where she serves as an alumni interviewer for undergraduate admissions at the University of Pennsylvania.  She was also an Executive Board member of Lanai Road Elementary School’s PTA for four years.  In addition, Ms. Amen volunteers her time for pro bono legal work at Levitt Quinn Family Law Center.