Growing up on Long Island, Rita Hanshumaker was exposed to the Spanish language and Latino culture at an early age.  This led Rita to immerse herself in the study of Spanish to achieve fluency.  

Rita’s sights were not always set on the legal profession. She originally set out to pursue a career in the music and entertainment industry, recording a rap record titled “The Party’s Live” in 1986 and performing the single on the TV show “Showtime at the Apollo.” Her film credits include an appearance in the movie “Crocodile Dundee II” and the TV show “Dream Street.”

However, while attending the State University of New York at Stony Brook she happened upon a business law class and discovered a fascination for law. She soon took all the law classes the university offered and served as a teaching assistant to several professors who taught law there.

“While in college, I also volunteered to teach English as a second language,” she said. “I found great satisfaction in helping Latinos overcome the language barrier. I wondered if there might be a career where I could use the law to help the Latino community in other ways.”

She began her legal career working at an insurance defense firm but was disappointed that she could not use her knowledge of Spanish or work directly on behalf of injured clients.

In 2001, she gave birth to her first daughter and put her career on hold to become a full-time mother. She stayed home with her two daughters until 2007, when she rejoined the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin as one of the attorneys who makes first contact with clients regarding their personal injury claims.

“I am thrilled to be able to use my Spanish, knowledge of the law, and experience in dealing with insurance companies to help those who are injured obtain the compensation they may deserve,” she said.