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Riena Yu

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Practice Areas:

  • Family Law Actions
  • Community Property issues
  • Child and Spousal Support
  • Custody Dispute
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Domestic Violence

Biography

Riena Yu is an associate at Christy, Keith & Donnell Family Law Group, P.C. She received her B.A., with Honors, from the University of Chicago and her J.D. from UCLA School of Law, where she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Pacific Basin Law Journal and was a Hoffenberger Research Fellow.

During law school, Ms. Yu interned with the Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project in Los Angeles, the Family Defense Practice of the Bronx Defenders, and the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law. After graduating law school, Ms. Yu worked on impact litigation as a Legal Fellow at Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and then as Staff Attorney for the East Bay Family Defenders, where she represented parents in the child welfare systems and was in court almost daily fighting to reduce the number of children in foster care. She conducted numerous trials and hearings while managing a heavy caseload of over 90 child welfare cases. She thereafter turned her focus entirely to family law, working for two established Bay Area family law firms, managing an independent and busy caseload from initial consultation through trial or settlement. She has broad experience representing clients in cases involving divorce, child and spousal support, custody and visitation, domestic violence restraining orders, guardianship, and other family law issues.

Ms. Yu draws on her background working with individuals in juvenile dependency, immigration, and family law to her daily practice. She understands how emotional and stressful the legal process can be and strives to help her clients understand and navigate California's complex family law system. She believes in client-centered advocacy and offers her clients the insight, empathy, and knowledge needed to bring about peaceful resolutions while remaining attentive to her clients' needs and listening to their stories and challenges.

Ms. Yu is a certified Domestic Violence Counselor and is passionate about protecting her clients' physical as well as emotional and psychological well-being from the many forms of abuse. She is also committed to alternative dispute resolution techniques and is a Certified Mediator and has been trained in Collaborative Divorce.

When she is not assisting clients, Riena enjoys cooking with her partner and exploring local craft fairs with friends.

Education

  • UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, California
    • J.D. - 2019
  • University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
    • B.A. - 2016

Bar Admissions

  • California

Honors

  • UCLA School of Law, Hoffenberg Research Fellow
  • Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, Legal Fellow
  • University of Chicago, Graduated With Honors

Professional Associations

  • Collaborative Divorce Group North Bay
  • California Bar Association
  • Alameda County Bar Association (Volunteer, CLASP Clinic)
  • San Francisco County Bar Association (Justice & Diversity Center, Pro Bono Legal Services)
  • Project Sentinel (Volunteer Mediator)

Past Positions

  • Fruden and Padilla Family Law, Oakland, California, Associate
  • Modern Family Law, Oakland, California, Associate
  • East Bay Defenders, San Leandro, California, Staff Attorney
  • Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, Sacramento, California, Legal Fellow
  • Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law, Los Angeles, California, Intern
  • The Bronx Defenders, Bronx, New York, Legal Intern
  • UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, California, Hoffenberg Research Fellow
  • Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project, Los Angeles, California, Legal Intern

Volunteer Work

  • CLASP Clinic Volunteer
  • Justice and Diversity Center Volunteer
  • Pro Bono Legal Services Volunteer
  • Project Sentinel Volunteer Mediator
  • Alameda County Day of Court Volunteer
  • Roots and Rebound Volunteer
  • Sacramento LGBTQ Community Center Volunteer
  • Lawyers as Peacemakers Legal Clinic Volunteer