Shane Jasmine Young

It’s the question every adolescent fields from an adult at least once in their early lives: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

So it’s hardly unusual that Shane Jasmine Young faced that very question at 8 years old. Nor was it unusual that the query came from her aunt.

What was a bit out of the ordinary? Young was a guest on her aunt’s radio show the day she was put on the spot.

Most kids in that situation understandably would’ve frozen, stammered for a bit, then rattled off a long string of potential future professions.

Young did none of those things. Instead, her reply was succinct and direct: “I’m going to be a lawyer,” she said, “because my parents say I like to argue.”

It was a cute response. Of course, nobody listening believed that Young really meant what she said — after all, how many 8-year-olds have their career locked down? Heck, even Young herself will tell you she wasn’t completely serious in the moment.

A few years later, though, when her father’s entrepreneurial plight spiraled into a devastating legal battle? She got serious — very serious.

“My family basically lost everything,” she says. “At that point, I became dedicated to pursuing a legal career — to ensuring that my family, friends, and our community would have the proper legal resources, receive guidance, and be empowered to make the best decisions.”

So after graduating from high school in her native Las Vegas, Young headed to Pepperdine University in Southern California. The plan: Earn a business degree, followed by a law degree at either Pepperdine or the University of Southern California.

It took Young just three years to complete that business degree, qualifying for the dean’s list every semester on the way to graduating magna cum laude in spring 2000. And then … life got lifey.

“I found out that I was pregnant with twins,” she says. “So my husband Charles and I decided to move back home to Las Vegas where we would have the support of both sides of our family.”

At this point, nobody would’ve blamed Young had she temporarily — if not permanently — abandoned her dream of becoming a difference-making lawyer. 

Young’s mindset? Not a chance.

After getting settled back home, she looked into the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV. Upon discovering that the fledgling school offered the kind of flexibility a soon-to-be mother of twin daughters would need — namely, a part-time evening program — she applied and was accepted.

Three long, arduous years later, Young graduated cum laude, ranking 33rd among her 125-person graduating class.

As she studied for the bar, Young pondered a career practicing commercial and corporate law. She accepted an offer from the Las Vegas offices of Snell & Wilmer, a national firm for whom she served as a law clerk during her final year at Boyd.

In three years as a Snell & Wilmer associate — followed by another eight years as an associate at another prestigious national firm — Young concentrated on commercial litigation.

“I thought I would stay corporate, remain in ‘big law,’ and eventually become a partner,” she recalls. “But I soon discovered that a different path would suit me much better.”

That path involved shifting her professional focus to trust and estate law. Young’s passion for that particular field was born of two pivotal experiences: Her favorite law school course was Trusts & Estates, and her first pro bono case shortly after graduating was a probate matter that left a lasting impression.

“In that case, my client’s father had passed away, and although he had established a trust, the family still ended up in probate because the [estate] plan was not properly prepared, reviewed, or updated,” Young says. “It’s something that happens all too often with ‘traditional’ estate plans. In fact, I saw the same thing happen over and over in the first decade of my professional career.”

Determined to be part of the solution to a recurring problem, Young left the corporate and commercial litigation field in 2015 and accepted a general counsel position with a private financial services firm that specialized in trusts.

While she enjoyed the work, Young became discouraged by how slowly the “change” meter was moving. So in 2017, aiming to make a more direct and immediate impact, Young pushed all her chips to the center of the table: With her husband leading the charge, she founded Young Law Group.

In the eight years since establishing her firm, Young and her team have assisted thousands of clients with their estate planning, business, and personal injury needs, protecting legacies and billions of dollars in assets. 

While the demands of being a practicing attorney operating her own firm are many, Young has remained steadfastly committed to community service work. In addition to taking on pro bono cases with several worthwhile organizations — including Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada and Nevada Legal Services — Young serves on the PBS Planned Giving Council and even coaches youth basketball.

Another of Young’s community passions: Women Decision Makers (WDM), a group she founded in 2019 upon recognizing that many of her estate-planning clients were women. WDM holds bi-monthly meetings — often sponsored by Young Law Group — where women in the community gather to fellowship, network, and lend personal and professional support.

And, of course, the 2025 Boyd School of Law Alumna of the Year remains connected to her alma mater. This includes as a volunteer (past member of the Alumni Board and a judge for law student appellate oral arguments); a mentor (helping incoming students with the difficult transition to law school); a past instructor (she taught a family law class); and a parent.

Yes, parent.

Remember those twins whom Young was carrying when she applied to the Boyd School of Law in the early aughts? They’re now third-year Boyd students. And yes, sisters Caira and Shaira intend to join the family business upon completing their juris doctors.

“It still doesn’t feel real,” says Young, who also has three high school-age children. “Not only did they both choose to go to Boyd, but they are also choosing to join Young Law Group.

“I remember Caira telling me shortly after we opened the firm that she planned to go to law school. She said it made sense — that we were building more than a business; we were building a legacy. There are so many blessings rolled into this, and I couldn’t be more proud of them. I am confident they will do many great things that I haven’t even imagined.”

Law school is notoriously difficult for any student, let alone a young mother of twins. Was there ever a time when things got so overwhelming that you considered pivoting to a different career?

Never. I made a decision, I stuck with it, and I was determined to succeed. In my mind, I didn’t have a choice. I had babies who were depending on me. 

Of course, I had my fair share of bad days and breakdowns. I remember losing a paper for my Lawyer Process I class at midnight the day before it was due and having to start again. I cried like a baby and wanted to give up. But I got back to it, pulled an all-nighter, and barely made the morning deadline.

Law school was very challenging, but I had the support of my husband and our families, in addition to the many resources the law school provided. I needed and utilized all of them.

You established the Young Law Group with your husband nearly a decade ago. Was this part of your grand professional plan, and how difficult was it to make “the leap” to business owner?

It was part of his grand plan — Charles had the vision long before I did!

I was scared of leaving the stability I had with my career for the uncertainty of entrepreneurship, mostly because I didn’t want my children to have to experience financial instability. So it was one of the most difficult decisions I ever made.

When the time came, I relied on faith to make the leap. And I am so glad that I did.  

What were some of the early challenges of launching the firm?

Hiring the right people and knowing when to make investments back into the business.

Charles and I have worked extremely hard to build a strong team with a culture that sets our firm apart. We have learned from our experience, and while it was not always pleasant, those experiences have shaped the attorney, leader, and business owner that I am today. I’m better for all of it. 

You have been involved in numerous organizations and initiatives that are designed to empower women. This includes founding Women Decision Makers. What sparked this particular passion?

In my practice, I was seeing women leading the charge when it came to their family’s estate planning. I found it so interesting, this shift in decision-making. I wanted to continue to cultivate these relationships and create a community where women could come together and support each other.

It’s an honor to create a space and ecosystem for our members. Anyone interested in participating can get more information and register for free at YLGWDM.com. 

You have lent your time and expertise to numerous community service endeavors over the years. How fulfilling is this work, and what is your advice to today’s Boyd students about the importance of taking on pro bono cases?

I’ve always had a passion for helping people and volunteering. It’s so important to give back, especially once you’ve made it through law school.

As lawyers, we are uniquely equipped to serve, and our community needs us. I encourage all Boyd students to do pro bono work. What I’ve found is the more I give, the more I receive.

My firm also offers complimentary services, including a free Estate Planning 101 webinar and a complimentary Life & Legacy Planning Session, which is a $750 value.

You’ve received numerous awards and recognitions throughout your career, including from such organizations as the American Cancer Society and Las Vegas Aces WNBA franchise. What does this award mean to you?

There is no greater honor for me, because it’s my alma mater and happening while my daughters are Boyd students. It’s truly a full-circle moment.

I look back, and I remember carrying them, one on each hip, to meet with [former] Associate Dean Christine Smith to check my first-semester grades (which weren’t great, by the way).

I had no idea what the future would hold all those years ago. So to be recognized like this more than two decades later … it’s difficult to put into words. I’m truly so honored and grateful. Because without Boyd, I wouldn’t be where I am today.