Clarissa was valedictorian of her high school class before attending Wellesley College, where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin American Studies and Spanish. After teaching English in Mexico and managing the office of a sole practitioner in Los Angeles, Clarissa moved to San Francisco, where she attended law school at Golden Gate University, placing in the top four percent of her graduating class.

Over the course of her career, she has successfully handled a wide variety of personal injury cases ranging from bovine attacks to defective e-bikes to hazardous trees to sexual abuse. She is a member of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, Consumer Attorneys of California, and American Association for Justice, and has been selected for inclusion in Northern California Super Lawyers in 2024 and to its “Rising Stars” list for multiple prior years. She also speaks Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese.

When not in the office, she enjoys exploring San Francisco and the Marin Headlands on foot or on a bike with her family, volunteering on the PTSA executive board of her kids’ public schools, and catching an independent film at the neighborhood theatre.

Areas of Practice

• Catastrophic Personal Injury
• Child Sexual Abuse – teacher sexual abuse, student sexual abuse, and the dissemination of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) on the internet and dark web
• Dangerous Condition of Public Property, including hazardous trees
• Injuries Causes by Animals, including cattle and bison
• Product Liability
• Premises Liability, including storefront crashes
• Wrongful Death

Bar Admissions

• California, 2006

Education