About T. Shane
An engineer by training who later added a law degree, T. Shane Sandefer blends technical literacy with courtroom practice. He built the first part of his career around soil, structures and environmental systems. The pivot into law expanded the tools he brings to clients and to cases in state and federal courts.
Sandefer earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Louisiana State University in 1995, then stayed at LSU for a master’s degree in civil engineering, concentrating on geotechnical and environmental engineering, which he completed in 1998. He returned to the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at LSU and received his J.D. in 2005.
Before entering law, Sandefer worked as a senior staff engineer at URS Corporation in 1998. He then served as a project engineer for Turner Environmental, Inc. in 1999. Those positions involved hands-on engineering work and project management on environmental and geotechnical matters. The experience gave him a technical grounding that he has referenced in later legal work.
After earning his law degree, Sandefer began his legal career at Kean Miller LLP. He has been listed as a partner of the firm since 2005. At the firm he has handled matters that require both legal analysis and technical understanding. His practice has taken him into state courts across Louisiana and into the federal system, including appearances in the United States District Courts for Louisiana and before the Fifth Circuit.
Sandefer holds a Professional Engineer credential from the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board, credential ID 0029392. That licensure is part of what separates his profile from many lawyers who work on environmental and infrastructure disputes. It allows him to read engineering reports and to question technical assumptions on an informed basis.
He maintains memberships in several professional organizations. Those include the Baton Rouge Bar Association, the Louisiana State Bar and the American Bar Association. He also serves in a leadership capacity as Speaker Co-Chair for the Louisiana Section of the Air and Waste Management Association, a role that connects technical communities and regulatory audiences.
Colleagues describe Sandefer as someone who brings engineering methods into legal problem solving: testing hypotheses, examining data, and assembling a chain of reasoning. He works on cases in Louisiana and in federal appellate and district courts, applying both engineering and legal judgment. He currently practices at Kean Miller LLP, handling matters that intersect law, environmental regulation and engineering practice.
