Mar 25, 2024
Show Notes:
Shannon Frison joined the United States Marine Corps during her time in law school. She spent her second year at officer candidate school and became commissioned as an officer. After law school, she returned to Massachusetts, worked for a year at the TAs office, took the bar, and went on active duty with the Marine Corps. After serving at Marine Corps Air Station, New River, North Carolina, she worked for a litigation firm called Dwyer and Clora before opening a law firm. In 2009, she applied for the bench in Massachusetts and was appointed to the Boston Municipal Court. She then applied again to the Superior Court and was appointed to the Superior Court in 2013 where she stayed until 2024 when she retired from that position and reopened a law firm.
The Decision to Join the Marine Corps
Shannon was initially an athlete in college but later discovered the judge advocate program in the Marine Corps while taking a firefighters course. She found the Marine Corps offers a physical experience that is not sanitized or lighter training, and lawyers are considered line officers. They go through the full Marine Corps infantry officer training, which is the minimum required for being a judge advocate. Shannon shares her transformation from the Marine Corps to active duty service, stating that she was physically and mentally transformed. She learned about boundaries, limits, and how to lead people effectively. The training in the Marine Corps is designed to push individuals to their limits.
Training in the Marine Corps
One of the challenges she faced during her training was a 15-foot jump from a tower, which she struggled with for six months. Despite being encouraged by others, she struggled with this mental block and graduated late. This experience made her realize her weaknesses and strengths. She explains how she managed to overcome this mental block. Shannon's experience in the Marine Corps has had a significant impact on her personal growth and development. She has learned to appreciate her limitations and the challenges they present, and has been able to adapt and improve her skills throughout her time in the military. This experience has helped her become a better person and better equipped for her future roles in the Marine Corps. Shannon shares her experience of jumping off a helicopter after completing the swim qualification, which helped her overcome anxiety and mental anxiety. She also shares that her time in Harvard and the Marine Corps taught her that she would not always be the best at everything, as she met many outstanding individuals in those environments.
A Career on The Bench
Shannon talks about her time as a judge, where she applied to the Bench through an application process. The Massachusetts system of selecting judges mimics the federal system, but it is an application process. People may recommend applicants, and applicants must fill out a long, dramatic application that asks for every detail in their life and legal life. She explains the rigorous vetting process for applicants before they reach the governor's desk, where they meet with their lawyer for further vetting. Once the governor nominates them, Congress and the governor's counselors confirm their nomination to the bench. If they get their seat and commission on the bench, it is a lifetime position and they don't need to do it again unless they go to another court.
Explaining The Difference between Courts
Shannon discusses her experience working in the Boston Municipal Court and Superior Court, two different courts in Massachusetts. The Boston Municipal Court and district courts handle a variety of cases, including criminal, restraining orders, traffic tickets, and small claims matters. She states that all cases begin in these courts. The Superior Court is a court of general jurisdiction, handling more serious matters such as rapes, robberies, and murders. Judges must do both civil and criminal trials, with each session lasting three months. Finally, Shannon discusses her experience as a judge from 2009 to almost 2020. She has gained more education about law and has learned about various areas of law. She is concerned about her own safety, as threats and assaults are more common in Massachusetts. The court system enforces safety measures for judges, but she has taken steps to keep her address out of the public eye.
The Role of Race Bias in the Criminal Justice System
Shannon emphasizes the importance of addressing racial disparities in sentencing. She believes that conversations about race should be solidly on the table all the time, especially in sentencing. She emphasizes that the goal of sentencing should be rehabilitation, deterrence, education, and other goals, rather than satisfying the prosecutor's office or victim's family.
She suggests that mandatory training on issues of bias would be beneficial, especially at the police level. She believes that more education is needed for officers to better understand the historical and consistent disparities in the criminal justice system. However, she acknowledges that people may become weary of discussing race, and it is difficult to keep it on the table.
Finally, she stresses that it is essential to continue pushing for change. She believes that people must believe in the existence of these disparities and work towards changing them. Shannon discusses the need for more training for police officers, specifically in areas such as bias training and soft skills. She suggests that there is a need for more education and training to better understand the psyche of these individuals.
A Speaking Career Focused on Law
Shannon mentions her speaking career, which includes engagements around trial advocacy, race and bias, and navigating legal careers. She enjoys speaking to law students, undergraduates, new lawyers, affinity law groups, and associations. She also speaks regularly for different Bar Associations in Massachusetts and continues legal education for lawyers. Shannon explains why she decided to retire from the bench because she believes that a job has a season in one's life, and she wants to be part of shaping and advocating for various aspects of society, policies, politics, and culture. She believes that 15 years of her professional life is enough, and it’s time to move on and do other things, as everyone is in a lifecycle and should focus on what they aim to do while they are on the planet.
Influential Courses and Professors at Harvard
Shannon shares her experiences with professors at Harvard, including Martin Kilson, and J. Lorand Matory. Kilson was a government major who taught courses on city development, race, and ethnic groups. Matory, an anthropology professor, taught seminars on Afro Atlantic religions, which taught about non-Christian religions created during slavery. She believes these courses and information have stayed with her throughout her career.
Timestamps:
04:24 Career change and military training
14:17 Overcoming mental block in military swim qualification
19:47 Becoming a judge in Massachusetts
27:30 Judicial experience and safety concerns
31:48 Criminal justice system reform and addressing racial disparities
39:46 Police training and community relations
44:07 Judicial experience, identity, and advocacy
Links:
Website: www.frisonlawfirm.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/shannonfrison
Website: https://touch.npaper-wehaa.com/baystatebanner/read/content?content_id=4209621