About Vanessa M.
Vanessa M. Sheehan pursued a sequence of degrees that threaded law, higher education and communications together. She earned a B.A. in English and Journalism from the University of Iowa in 2005. She then completed an M.S. in Sports Administration and Higher Education at Valparaiso University in 2009. Sheehan earned her J.D. from Valparaiso University School of Law in 2010. Those academic stops shape how she reads a file and frames an argument.
Sheehan began practicing at Donahue & Walsh, P.C. in 2012. Her role there is identified on public records as a lawyer at the firm. Joining a regional practice early in her career gave her day-to-day exposure to client matters and courtroom procedure. The record shows steady involvement at the same firm since that start date, suggesting continuity in the kinds of matters the office handles.
Her background in sports administration and higher education sits alongside a foundation in journalism. That combination matters in legal work. It affects how she prepares written materials, how she evaluates policies at educational institutions, and how she approaches disputes that touch on athletics and campus life. It also provides practical grounding for advising organizations where communications and reputations are at stake.
Sheehan holds membership in the Illinois State Bar Association and has been listed as a member since 2012. Membership in the state bar association is a common professional touchpoint for attorneys who want access to continuing education, committee work and peer networks. Public listings show her maintaining that affiliation into the present.
Colleagues and clients who work with her encounter an attorney whose training crosses several disciplines. Her writing skills, shaped by an undergraduate degree in journalism, pair with technical legal training from law school. Her graduate study offers additional perspective on the governance and operational issues that affect colleges, universities and sports programs. Those elements come together in how she reviews documents, prepares pleadings and advises on institutional questions.
As of 2026 she is an attorney at Donahue & Walsh, P.C., and her current practice focuses on legal matters affecting educational institutions and sports organizations.
