Shannon Frison

What the Marine Corps' 250th Anniversary Means to Me

As the United States Marine Corps celebrates its 250th anniversary, I am reminded of how the Corps has truly shaped my life, both personally and professionally. My journey into the Marines began during law school at Georgetown University, where I decided I wanted a career that balanced the intellectual rigor of law with a physical component. There were only two Marines at Georgetown at the time, and one of them posted flyers for the Judge Advocate Program in our mailboxes. That was my introduction to the Marine Corps, and the more I learned about its values and mission, the more I felt compelled to serve.

In the summer of 1994, while still in law school, I was selected to attend Officer Candidate School in Quantico. From that moment, I was hooked, and it has been an unbreakable bond ever since - like becoming a vampire, there’s no return. Becoming a Marine was far more than a career choice; it was the greatest achievement of my life and a transformative experience that shaped my character.

I grew up on the South Side of Chicago, during the Great Migration, and later graduated as valedictorian from Hyde Park Career Academy before attending Harvard and Georgetown. After law school, I served as a prosecutor in Massachusetts and later on active duty as a Marine Corps prosecutor at Marine Corps Air Station New River. Over the years, I had the privilege of serving in Quantic, Virginia, Okinawa, Japan, and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. I spent seven years in a litigation firm before opening my own practice and ultimately being appointed a judge in Massachusetts in 2009.

As I reflect on the Marine Corps' 250 years of service, I am filled with pride for the incredible legacy I am part of and for the profound impact it has had on my life. Serving as a Marine has been my most significant metamorphosis and continues to define who I am today.

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About the Author

Retired Justice Shannon Frison was appointed to the Massachusetts Superior Court in 2013. She was the youngest judge on that court. Justice Frison took that seat after serving for more than 4 years on the Boston Municipal Court in from 2009-2013, beginning her tenure on the bench at age 39. Justice Frison has been speaking and fighting on behalf of the oppressed, accused and downtrodden for more than three decades. She first opened her Boston-based Frison Law Firm, P.C. in 2007, focusing on “blue collar” crime, employment law, and military justice. She tried several high-profile murder, rape, and conspiracy cases in the Commonwealth and in the military courts of North Carolina, Pensacola, Florida, and Okinawa, Japan. She retired from the bench in 2024 and reopened Frison Law Firm, P.C. in after 15 years on the Massachusetts bench. Frison Law Firm handles complex criminal and civil litigation, military justice matters, mediations, and provides expert testimony.

Justice Frison is a past president of the Massachusetts Black Judges Conference from 2010 to 2013. She is a jurist, a Major of Marines, a speaker, and a mentor to trial lawyers and law students. Justice Frison speaks and trains lawyers, students, and business on diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as racial disparities in criminal justice. Before appointment, Justice Frison practiced locally and abroad as owner of Frison Law Firm, P.C. Her practice focused on “blue collar” criminal law and military justice. She tried several high-profile murder, rape, and conspiracy cases in the Boston area and in the military courts of North Carolina, Pensacola, Florida, and Okinawa, Japan. Her final case before taking the bench was a tragic and complex quadruple murder that occurred in Dorchester and was tried in Suffolk Superior Court.

Justice Frison spent nearly seven years as a litigation associate at the former white collar defense firm Dwyer & Collora, LLP in Boston prior to opening her own firm – Frison Law Firm, P.C. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Government from Harvard & Radcliffe Colleges in 1992 and her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 1995. Justice Frison was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1995 and began her career as an Assistant District Attorney with the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office where she worked out of the Quincy District Court.

Justice Frison holds the rank of Major in the United States Marine Corps and is a Marine Corps Judge Advocate. She completed Officer Candidates School and accepted her commission in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1994; and she completed The Basic School and Naval Justice School in 1997. From 1997-2000, she was the prosecutor (Trial Counsel) aboard Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Since the beginning of the hostilities in Afghanistan and Iraq, Justice Frison has been mobilized to active duty twice in support of the Global War on Terror in both legal and nonlegal capacities. Her duties have taken her to the G-5 War Plans Branch of the Marine Forces Pacific in Hawaii as well as the Keystone Judicial Circuit in Japan. In addition to serving the country and practicing law, she has served as a Guberman Teaching Fellow at Brandeis University for three years teaching "Introduction to Law,” as well as appearing as guest lecturer at Brandeis on military justice and military tribunals. Justice Frison was also a member of the Boston Bar Association’s Task Force To Prevent Wrongful Convictions and Harvard Law School’s Trial Advocacy Workshop.

The judge is a member of the Roxbury Community College Advisory Board. She has taught trial advocacy twice a year for more than 13 years at Harvard Law School’s Trial Advocacy Workshop, founded by Professor Charles Ogletree. For over 10 years, Justice Frison has spoken as the keynote on bias and diversity for the Massachusetts Bar Association’s quarterly Practicing With Professionalism Course. The Course is required for all new lawyers in Massachusetts. Justice Frison speaks regularly on the topics of Trial Advocacy, Race & Bias, and Diversity for bar associations, law schools, colleges, businesses, and agencies. She is a TED speaker from TEDx Bradenton in 2022 where she discussed conformity, authenticity, and the role bias has played in her life and career.

Justice Frison currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Life After Prison, Inc. Frison Law Firm, P.C. is the founder of the QuickLaw legal representation program. QuickLaw is a legal subscription program offered by Frison Law Firm, P.C., providing individuals and small businesses with a comprehensive range of non-litigation services for a one-year period at a flat rate. Individuals can access services such as contract review and drafting, negotiations, and consultations, while small businesses can enroll to address additional needs like EEOC and employee handbooks, sexual harassment policies, and landlord/tenant disputes. QuickLaw also covers magistrate and show-cause hearings, restraining orders, demand letters, and contract disputes, making it a valuable legal resource for both personal and business-related matters. See Frison Law Firm.