Janani S. Rana, CFLS

Janani S. Rana is a Certified Family Law Specialist and trial lawyer. She focuses her practice exclusively on complex, high-net-worth family law matters in Orange County.

Janani is known for her command of difficult financial and custody issues, her strategic handling of cases, and her ability to translate sophisticated legal and financial concepts into clear, persuasive advocacy for courts and clients alike. She has extensive evidentiary hearing and trial experience on all family law issues, including custody, child support, spousal support, domestic violence, property, business valuations, family residence valuation and characterization issues, and attorney fees.

Growing up, Janani was always drawn to the “why” beneath every story. She studied Political Theory at the University of California, San Diego, and spent her junior year abroad at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, traveling, studying South Asian cultures, and learning to see life from multiple perspectives. That curiosity ultimately led her to USC Gould School of Law (Fight On!), where she found her true calling in family law – a practice rooted in people and real-world impact.

While at USC Gould School of Law, Janani sought out real courtroom experience. She clerked for the Honorable Amy Pellman and the Honorable Harvey Silberman of the Los Angeles Superior Court, gaining early exposure to the emotional complexity of family law cases. She also worked for a well-known family law firm and interned at the Alliance for Children’s Rights, the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law, and the Western Center on Law & Poverty, where she saw firsthand how the law touches every part of someone’s life.

Since graduating, Janani has enjoyed mastering the craft of family law. In addition to ongoing monthly and annual advanced education, she is a three-time graduate of the Kolodny Family Law Trial Institute, one of the country’s most rigorous training programs for family law attorneys. She has completed the full 7-day trial institute, the Advanced Cross-Examination Institute, and the Business Valuation Institute.

Her work has earned consistent peer recognition. Janani has been named to the Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers lists, was a Super Lawyers Rising Star for four consecutive years, and a Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch honoree for three consecutive years, including the inaugural edition.

Janani also loves teaching about family law and regularly writes articles and presents to fellow attorneys on topics such as business valuations and custody move-away strategies. She’s also served as a guest lecturer in USC Gould’s Community Property course, where she handles difficult topics like life insurance characterization and disability/severance valuation. Most recently, she served as an instructor for the AAML SoCal Trial Basics live practicum.

Janani lives in Irvine with her husband and two children. Her life outside the office informs her work inside it. As the mother of a child with complex medical issues, she is passionate about bringing awareness to the pediatric special needs and epilepsy community. She is also dedicated to advancing the South Asian legal community, and in 2025, after nearly a decade serving on the board of the Los Angeles based South Asian Bar Association of Southern California, including as its President, she helped co-found the South Asian Bar Association of Orange County. She presently serves as SABA OC’s inaugural President. She also serves as Secretary of the Orange County Women Lawyers Association and is an active participant in the Orange County legal community, including with OCBA’s Mommy Esq. and Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and the Orange County Unity Bar.

When she isn’t in the courtroom or supporting her legal community, Janani is chasing quality family time, learning to golf, and thinking about what’s next – whether that’s another CLE, another community initiative, or another opportunity to help someone navigate their life’s toughest transition.

Janani limits her practice to family law matters in Orange County.