Shannon L. Kennedy - Albuquerque, NM
Attorney at Kennedy Law Firm
Police Misconduct Lawyers in Albuquerque, NM
1000 Second Street NorthWest Albuquerque, NM 87102
- Free Consultation
- 1 Super Lawyers®
-
32
Years
Experience
Albuquerque Police Misconduct Lawyer
Updated: 04/22/2026
Areas of Practice
- Police Misconduct
- Sexual Violence
- Wrongful Death
- Children and Youth
Attorney Information
Overview
Shannon experienced a pivotal moment in her career as a criminal defense attorney when she asked herself, who do I want to represent? People who can afford the best attorney, or vulnerable populations whose story too often goes unheard? Shannon made her decision. Not long thereafter, during a trial, she received a small hand-written note from her client, a girl too young to be in court that day, a girl who'd been sexually assaulted by a teacher. It read: Thank you for fighting for me. Shannon's client won a $3.2 million settlement and the school district implemented a mandatory training for principals in identifying sexual predators (Sanchez v. Brokop 04-cv-134). There's never been any doubt that Shannon made the right decision.
Shannon's work continues to shift thinking about the legal representation of children and youth and implements policy changes that makes their lives safer. Kenneth Ellis III, an Iraq War veteran severely injured in the line of duty (earning him a Purple Heart) and suffering from PTSD, was fatally shot by officers who failed to implement practices for de-escalating a mental health crisis. Shannon, in co-counsel with Joseph Kennedy and Frances Carpenter, filed a wrongful death/loss of consortium lawsuit on behalf of Kenneth's 5-year-old son. The jury awarded $10.3 million; the case settled in mediation for $7.95 million. Kenneth's sister, in partnership with the VA Hospital where he'd been treated, lobbied for legislative changes that resulted in mandatory crisis intervention and de-escalation training for police officers across the state of New Mexico.
Shannon consistently argues for settlements that require police officers and other public employees receive the training needed to do their jobs responsibly. In a class action case against the city of Albuquerque, student misconduct in the city's public schools was being criminalized with charges of misdemeanors. Students were being arrested and removed from campus without their parents' knowing. Shannon's work resulted in School Resource Officers (many of them retired police) being trained on how to interact with youth. The number of arrests decreased from 180 in a two-year period to just one the year after the new policy went into place.
Shannon studied at The CUNY School of Law and worked in their nationally-recognized public interest law clinic on behalf of battered immigrant woman. She also worked at the United Nations Human Rights Project on behalf of female victims of torture seeking political asylum. She was awarded a Revson Fellowship to work with a farm worker's project in New Mexico and transferred into the University of New Mexico's dual degree program, earning her Juris Doctor and Master's in Latin American studies.
When asked what Shannon does in her free time, she paused as though trying to remember a town she once passed through. Upon giving it further thought, she anticipates that once her children are all off being adults, she'll return to her passion for international travel and scuba diving.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- Awardee, NBA Wiley A. Branton, 2017
Other Sources of Feedback About Shannon L. Kennedy
Included on the 2026 Southwest Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2025 Southwest Super Lawyers list
- 2024 Southwest Super Lawyers list
- 2023 Southwest Super Lawyers list
- 2022 Southwest Super Lawyers list
- 2021 Southwest Super Lawyers list
- 2020 Southwest Super Lawyers list
- 2019 Southwest Super Lawyers list
- 2018 Southwest Super Lawyers list
- 2017 Southwest Super Lawyers list
- 2016 Southwest Super Lawyers list
- 2015 Southwest Super Lawyers list
- 2014 Southwest Super Lawyers list
- 2012 Southwest Super Lawyers — Super Lawyers list
- 2011 Southwest Super Lawyers list
- 2010 Southwest Super Lawyers list
- 2008 Southwest Super Lawyers list
Education
-
Legal Education
-
City University of New York School of Law at Queens College,
Flushing,
New York
Honors: Revson Fellowship
Honors: Top 10%, First Year Law Class
Honors: United Nations Human Rights Project
Honors: Law Clinic -
University of New Mexico School of Law,
Albuquerque,
New Mexico, 1994
J.D.
Honors: International Moot Court Team
Law Review: UNM Law Review, State Constitutional Law - Refusing to Turn the Other Cheek - New Mexico Rejects Federal Good Faith Exception to the Exclusionary Rule: State v. Gutierrez, 1994 -
University of New Mexico School of Law,
Albuquerque,
New Mexico, 1994
M.A.
Major: Latin American Studies
-
City University of New York School of Law at Queens College,
Flushing,
New York
-
Non Legal Education
-
University of Oregon
B.A.
Honors: With Honors
Major: International Relations
Major: Spanish
-
University of Oregon
Current Employment Position(s)
-
Partner
Classes and Seminars
-
Continuing Legal Education Classes, Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
-
CLE Seminar on Police Misconduct, ACLU-NM, 2002
-
Speaker, Panel Discussion, Damages in Civil Rights Cases, AAJ annual convention, Boston, MA, 2017
-
Speaker, Media Communications in the High Profile Case, with Joseph Kennedy, AAJ Annual Convention, Los Angeles, CA, 2016
- Speaker, Representing Children & Youth in Police Misconduct Cases, NPAP, NYC, 2016
Representative Clients
Bruce Thompson, as Guardian Ad Litem for A.O., J.P. and G.G., Minor Children v. City of Albuquerque, et al. Case No. S-1-SC-35974
S.M., v. Bloomfield School District et al Case No. No. 1:16-cv-00823-SCY-WPL
Representative Cases
-
Dart v. Westall
- Citation: 2018 NMCA -061, 428 P.3d 292
-
Thompson v. City of Albuquerque
- Citation: 2017 - NMSC - 021, 397 P.3d 1219
-
D.G. v. The City of Las Cruces
- Citation: 2015 WL 13665421
-
State v. Boblick
- Citation: 2004 - NMCA - 078, 93 P.3d 775
-
Sanchez v. Brokop
- Citation: 398 F.Supp.2d 1177 (D.N.M. 2005)
Bar Admissions
- New Mexico, 1994
- U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit, 1998
Other Affiliations
- New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association (Member)
- New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers' Association (Member)
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America (Member)
Photo
Contact
1000 Second Street NorthWest
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Fax: (505) 244-1406
Email: Send a message
Disclaimer
Your Profile? Update Now
When viewing a listing, consider the state advertising restrictions to which lawyers and law firms must adhere, as well as our FindLaw.com Legal Directory disclaimer. Some lawyers publish comparative information regarding the services that they provide which may be subject to specific comparative communications restrictions.