Principal Counsel & Attorney-at-Law
Potential clients will need to know whether their attorney will have the stamina and dedication to serve their businesses. There is no question, given her track record, that Stephanie Schuman is a thorough strategist and an aggressive litigator who will not quit until her client's business is handled. Stephanie began her career at the Innocence Project (IP) under Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld. In 2014, she was honored at the IP's fall benefit. Some are surprised to learn that she received the IP's Advocate for Justice Award so early in her career, but for those who know her well, the reason is obvious; Stephanie's passion for the cause was so strong that she simply chose to go above and beyond her call of duty. In addition to her legal work, Stephanie raised both funds and awareness for the cause via her relentless pursuit of perfection as Co-Chair of the IP's Young Professionals Committee.
"Clients love her because she's passionate, knows their cases cold, and gets things done..."--Vanessa Potkin, Innocence Project, Director of Post-Conviction Litigation
Stephanie is proud of her criminal defense work, but it is her prior experience in the highly-regulated alcohol industry that gives Stephanie an edge over many other lawyers practicing cannabis law today. She was instrumental in launching a liquor brand that is currently thriving far beyond expectations, having single-handedly raised the majority of the capital used to launch the company. Stephanie participated in all aspects of the brand's business development while sitting on its board. Stephanie's keen understanding of what it takes to launch a company—from initial inception, to early-stage funding, to success in the marketplace—no doubt serves her current clients well.
Further, Stephanie is the founder and principal attorney of Leaf Legal, P.C., one of the nation's first full-service cannabis-only firms. An avid poker player, Stephanie tends to go all-in. Her firm focuses on all aspects of canna-business, including business formation, licensing, regulatory compliance, risk evaluation, intellectual property, land use, and corporate transactions. Counsel to a number of accredited cannabis investors, Ms. Schuman has a perfect record in winning her clients' claims, including against well-known, multi-billion dollar, publicly traded companies.
In her free time, Stephanie enjoys providing pro bono legal services to the wrongfully convicted, skiing, dancing, and of course- Texas hold 'em.
BAR ADMISSIONS:
New York
New Jersey
Connecticut
Washington, D.C.
COURT ADMISSIONS:
U.S. District Court SDNY
U.S. District Court EDNY
U.S. Court of Appeals, 2d Cir.
EDUCATION:
Cardozo School of Law
Howard University