Vanessa Domenichelli
Director of Litigation
Vanessa (she/her) is the Director of Litigation and oversees the systemic, impact, and individual litigation efforts by coordinating a strategic approach to litigation. Vanessa works closely with the VP of Programs and Litigation to use an intersectional framework to serve low-income workers and communities.
Prior to joining LAAW, Vanessa worked at the Social Justice Legal Foundation (SJLF) where she focused her practice on litigating systemic cases, including individual and class action matters, that challenged the carceral and police state. At SJLF, Vanessa co-led a team in filing Ronduen et al. v. The GEO Group a class action lawsuit on behalf of immigrants detained at the Adelanto Detention Center who were poisoned by the private prison company GEO Group; and was lead counsel on Mills v. Connely, et al. a police misconduct case challenging unconstitutional searches and forfeiture practices in Louisiana.
Early in her career, Vanessa worked at law firms and a government entity developing significant trial experience. Vanessa served as lead counsel or second chair in numerous jury trials in both New York and California. Vanessa received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Riverside and a Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School. She is admitted to practice in New York and California.
Outside of LAAW, Vanessa loves to travel and spend time with her family. Vanessa is also a board member and mentor for Practice to Pipeline, a nonprofit organization that focuses on supporting law students with diverse backgrounds as they navigate law school and the legal profession.