The 92 Report
Show Notes: Kellie Doucette describes her journey as zigs and zags, with three distinct chunks defined by her location: Northern Virginia, Bermuda, and New Jersey. She worked for a small health policy consulting firm called the Lewin Group in Northern Virginia, DC, where she met her future husband, John Doucette. A 13-Year Stint in Bermuda Kellie, an actuary, began her career in the Bermuda market after taking the actuarial exams. She and her husband moved to Bermuda in 1996, and they enjoyed the adventure of visiting family on the East Coast and raising their children there. The reinsurance...
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Show Notes: Gregory Mose, an English major, currently lives in Aix-en-Provence where he is the director of international relations and professor of International Law at a small American University program called the American College of the Mediterranean. When he graduated, his parents wanted him to go to Law School, but Greg wanted to travel. He was offered a teaching fellow position at Athens College in Greece, and he fell in love with the place and the experience. He returned to the US and law school at Duke where he met his wife. Working for United Nations Greg's interest...
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Show Notes: Reverend John H. Finley starts the conversation with a nod to family connections and some good news. He also mentions working at the Unilu Shelter, and how it was a transformative experience for him. Throughout the conversation, the importance of recognizing and valuing the contributions of individuals to the institution is mentioned. The Priesthood and Nativity Prep John describes his experience working at the shelter and how it led to the decision to work with younger people. He decided to become an Episcopal priest, but the bishop wouldn’t ordain him since he was openly gay....
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Show Notes: Kendalle Cobb, a family physician, has been practicing in Cleveland since 2004. She graduated from George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, DC and completed her family medicine residency at Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Fontana, California. After a year in Boston, she returned to serve on the faculty at her former residency program. She met her husband, who taught at a boarding school in Claremont, California, and after they got married, they moved to Cleveland to be closer to his family. Family Physician and Physician Advisor Kendalle shares that family...
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Show Notes: Pete Zorn, a lawyer and biotech executive, spent nine years in North Carolina, attending law school at the University of Carolina, Chapel Hill. He moved back to the Boston area with his wife and child where he stayed with his law firm, working remotely before taking an in-house position with one of his clients. He took the company public and stayed there for 11 years. He has since worked with three other biotech companies in various business and legal capacities, and is currently the president and Chief Legal Officer of Genevant. The Leading Nucleic Acid Delivery Company in the...
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Show Notes: Lawrence Steyn moved to Los Angeles to work with Walt Disney, where he helped think through financing new theme parks and movies. After leaving Disney, he went into traditional investment banking. He also mentions that he was a character in a theme park training program, where he was a penguin in full costume. His experience in LA and his role as a character in the training program were both memorable and challenging, and being a penguin was the hardest job he had in the 30+ years since graduating. From Investment Banking to the Tech Industry Lawrence moved to New York and...
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Sandi DuBowski discusses the one-year anniversary of his film Sabbath Queen, which he spent 21 years making. He reflects on the journey of the 21st-century radical rabbi and how it has shaped their life. He discusses the inspiration behind his film, Tomboychik, the concept of which was developed after conversations with his grandmother. The film is a living video memorial to her spirit; it won several awards, including the Golden Gate award at the San Francisco Film Festival and the Whitney Museum program, and launched Sandi into the film world. Documentary Films and Festivals ...
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Show Notes: Lili Barouch, a cardiologist, went to medical school at Johns Hopkins. After moving to Baltimore, she became a cardiologist specializing in heart failure and transplant. She joined the faculty in 2003 and worked on basic science research, research lab, and inpatient and outpatient care for heart failure and transplant patients. Lili stayed in this role for about 10 years before transitioning to outpatient cardiology. She moved to Howard County, Maryland, where her children have grown up. Founding the Sports Cardiology Program Lili started becoming more athletic around 20...
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Show Notes: Tanya Selvaratnam shares her journey from high school to present day. She moved to New York after graduating and worked at Columbia Law School’s Center for Chinese Legal Studies. She also assisted Anna Deavere Smith on her show “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992” about the LA riots. Tanya went back to Harvard for graduate school, studying Chinese language and the history of law. An Adventure in Theatre After her father passed away, she returned to New York, where she was working on the Beijing Women's Conference. Wandering the streets one day, she came across The Performing...
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Show Notes: Bo Rutledge, a professor and dean at the University of Georgia Law School, opens the conversation by talking about his parents, who made sacrifices to support their children's education, and how he felt called to serve and worked for the governor in California where he met many inspiring civil servants. A Graduate Degree and Long-Distance Relationship In Scotland, he obtained a graduate degree and met his wife Birgit, who is Austrian. They had a wonderful year together overseas and then spent three years in a long-distance relationship while Bo attended law school and...
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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