ATTORNEY PROFILE

Attorney Caitlin Shortell is a Super Lawyer, a National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Civil Plaintiff's Lawyer in Alaska, and a YWCA Woman of Achievement. A lifelong Alaskan, Ms. Shortell entered the legal profession with a federal district court externship, a superior court judicial clerkship, and working for the Public Defender, the Attorney General's Office, and the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights before founding a private practice in 2009.

Her current practice is focused on complex civil litigation, administrative law, and corporate litigation.

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE

Ms. Shortell has fought and won landmark legal victories and wins everyday battles for clients, including but not limited to the following:

BUSINESS AND LABOR LAW

Ms. Shortell's is a top lawyer for business owners, executives, and professionals. Her practice includes contracts, licensing, severance agreements, reputation management, and labor, business, and construction litigation. Here are some of the representative matters in Business and Labor Law in her practice:

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW

Ms. Shortell has extensive experience with administrative law. In the State of Alaska, the Office of Administrative Hearings handles a wide variety of administrative law matters. Ms. Shortell has practiced before this administrative court for decades, including but not limited to proceedings referred by the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights, Child Support, Department of Health and Social Services Child Maltreatment and Neglect Substantiation cases, Alcoholic Beverage Control, Medicaid, various professional licensing matters from the Alaska Police Standards Council and the Professional Teaching Practices Commission, the Medical Board, the Nursing Board, termination appeals for the University of Alaska and other state agencies, and more. 

SEASONED FAMILY LAW PRACTITIONER

Shortell Law LLC handles high net worth and financially complex divorces, dissolutions, and child support. Ms. Shortell is a top lawyer for LGBTQ family law issues, and adult protective proceedings like conservatorship and guardianship. Ms. Shortell's background in child protection work for the Attorney General's Office and training in Transformative Mediation distinguishes her from other practitioners. Ms. Shortell serves as private counsel for parents in serious Child in Need of Aid cases and administrative appeals. Ms. Shortell has provided volunteer representation in family law cases for survivors of domestic violence for ANDVSA. 

LANDMARK PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION 

Ms. Shortell was plaintiff's counsel in Hamby v. Parnell (2014),the case that secured same sex couples the right to marry in Alaska . Ms. Shortell helped write and pass the LGBT-inclusive Anchorage Equal Rights Ordinance (2015) Five years after winning the lawsuit that secured equal marriage, Ms. Shortell sued to stop the State of Alaska from a discriminatory practice of denial of PFDs to same sex military spouses and kids stationed out of State in Smith v. Dunleavy (2020).

Ms. Shortell started her career in San Francisco working for a law firm as plaintiffs' counsel in multi district class actions and is class counsel in class action litigation in Alaska state court.

INJURY LAW 

Ms. Shortell is a committed litigator for individuals who have experienced catastrophic injuries. This includes litigation on behalf of juvenile and adult victims of sexual violence.