Foley Women’s History Month Program: Justice Shannon Frison on Authenticity in the Workplace

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Foley & Lardner was honored to present a firmwide virtual program on March 12 featuring Justice Shannon Frison, who shared her journey from a valedictorian on Chicago’s South Side to a Harvard‑ and Georgetown‑educated Marine Corps Judge Advocate and, ultimately, to the youngest appointee to the Massachusetts Superior Court. Her experiences illuminate the persistence of implicit bias as well as the challenge of bringing authenticity into the workplace.

“I fell in love with the law,” Justice Frison told attendees, “And I also wanted a secondary career with a physical component.” After practicing as an assistant district attorney and in private practice across both civilian and military justice systems, her legal career path led to judicial service on the Boston Municipal Court and then the Massachusetts Superior Court where she spent more than a decade on the bench.

Justice Frison also has a distinguished military career as a Major in the United States Marine Corps and a Marine Corps Judge Advocate. She was commissioned in 1994 after completing Officer Candidates School and further honed her skills at The Basic School and Naval Justice School. From 1997 to 2000, she served as trial counsel at Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and has been mobilized twice for active duty in support of the Global War on Terror.

In describing her dual career paths, Justice Frison wove in examples of how bias can surface in subtle yet consequential ways. She shared experiences in which her authenticity — from speaking engagements to social media posts and even her tattoos — has been scrutinized and mischaracterized. These stories illuminate how heightened surveillance and biased assumptions often accompany being “othered” in professional spaces.

At the same time, Justice Frison’s remarkable career demonstrates that it is possible to succeed, lead, and open doors for others despite unfair expectations by standing firm in one’s identity, pushing back against limiting narratives, and helping to create more equitable workplaces.

“Chart your own path and be your own self. Do not let confines of role, money, or limitations define you. Only when you fully step up and step into your greatness will we all step into the light together.”

Justice Frison retired from the bench in 2023 and continues her private law practice focused on complex criminal and civil litigation, military justice matters, and expert testimony. She also is deeply engaged in mentoring legal professionals and advancing social justice initiatives as a Guberman Teaching Fellow at Brandeis University, member of the board of directors for The Life After Prison, Inc., and sought-after speaker on law as well as on bias and disparities in the legal system.

Foley is proud to honor the accomplishments of women within and outside of our firm. We remain committed to embracing equity, advancing opportunity, and creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. The insights and experiences we heard from Justice Frison offer a powerful and hopeful reflection for Women’s History Month, underscoring the realities women continue to face and the many ways they lead, serve, and transform their professions.

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