She teaches and writes about administrative law, presidential power, national security, and criminal procedure. Her work integrates legal analysis with interdisciplinary perspectives on the American presidency and administrative governance. From 2009-2012, Renan served in the U.S. Department of Justice as a Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General and then as an Attorney Advisor in the Office of Legal Counsel. She also served as a member of President-Elect Obama's Justice Department transition team. Renan clerked for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge Harry T. Edwards of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She received her J.D. from Yale Law School, where she served as an articles editor of the Yale Law Journal. She received her B.A., graduating summa cum laude, from Yale College.