163. Elisabeth (Weinberg) Tavarez, From Finance to Higher Ed to Politics
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Elisabeth Tavares (Weinberg) describes her journey post-graduation, dividing it into three main chapters: private sector, higher education, and government sector. Travelling to Egypt, Israel, and Spain Elisabeth shares her initial post-graduation plans, including travel to Egypt and Israel, and her work with American teenagers abroad in Ireland and Spain. She discusses her passion for international travel and her decision to learn Spanish at Harvard, which later led to teaching Spanish. Elisabeth explains her motivation for learning Spanish, including her background in European...
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162. Liam T.A. Ford, From Journalist to Non-profit Startup Leader
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Liam T.A. Ford, also known as LTAF, shares his initial career plans after graduation. After writing for the Crimson at Harvard, he initially considered a career in academia, but pivoted to journalism. He discusses his first job at the Montgomery Advertiser, where he covered crime and interviewed notable figures including the man who headed the pulpit committee that hired Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his pastorship in Montgomery. Liam recounts his transition to Chicago, where he became a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, covering notable events like Barack Obama's election to the...
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161. Elijah Siegler, Religious Studies Outside the Classroom
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Elijah Siegler recalls the day of graduation on June 5, 1992, and the prominent promotion of the movie Patriot Games, which seemed at the time an ominous omen, as graduates began to navigate their post-grad journey. Elijah shares his advice to his kids and students: "You don't need to have your whole life post-college figured out. You just need one cool thing lined up, and that'll lead to another cool thing." Elijah describes his first post-graduation job as the editor of the Greece and Turkey book for Let's Go travel guides, which he found out about due to a last-minute...
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160. Tobey (Weintraub) Collins, Energy Transaction Expert and International Enthusiast
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Tobey Weintraub Collins pursued a master's degree in international relations at Georgetown, where she met her husband who joined the US Foreign Service. Tobey worked in project finance in Brazil and Venezuela, focusing on energy projects, and later worked for AES Corp in the US and Chile. She eventually moved back to the US and has been at Astris for the past 13 years, specializing in energy and infrastructure investment banking. Life in Venezuela Tobey describes Venezuela in 2000-2001 as relatively normal, with the US still influential, and her work focused on Central America and...
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159. Josh Morgerman, World’s Top Hurricane Chaser
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Josh Morgerman describes his initial move to LA to work in the movie industry, which didn't work out. He then started a web design company called Symblaze in the late 90s, which survived the dot-com crash by expanding to Eastern Europe and working with Russia and Eastern Bloc countries while living in Prague. Josh shares his dual passion for weather and advertising, leading to a career as a hurricane chaser while still running Symblaze. A Pivotal Moment in the Philippines Josh explains his obsession with violent weather and how he started hunting hurricanes more...
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158. Allain Roy, A Career in Hockey: Player, Agent, Advisor, Entrepreneur
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Allain Roy shares that he left Harvard to become a professional hockey player, signing his first NHL contract out of college. He recalls winning the national championship in 1989 and the team's tradition of reuniting every 10 years. Al mentions attending Coach Clear's 90th birthday celebration and running into former teammates, Tim Burke, Kevin Sneddon, Rich DeFreitas, Brian McCormack and Greg Hess, along with Chuck Hughes at Harvard games. Participating in the 1994 Olympics Al discusses turning down an offer to play in Moscow before graduation and signing with the Winnipeg Jets....
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157. Noah Feldman, American Legal Scholar, Academic, and Author
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Noah Feldman, Harvard Law professor, author, and ethical advisor talks about his career in constitutional law and his experiences in Iraq and Tunisia, sharing stories from his time guiding, and in some cases, establishing, the law of countries in turmoil or collapse. He also talks about the themes explored in his books and current pursuits. Real World Projects in Constitutional Law Noah describes his academic journey, starting from his early love for school and his decision to pursue academia full-time, with brief interruptions for real-world projects. He shares his...
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156. Ted Caplow, Life at the Intersection of Society and Technology
The 92 Report
Show Notes Ted Caplow graduated with a degree in social science and has had a career in engineering and entrepreneurship. He describes his initial interest in science and his experience with physics at Harvard, which he found challenging. Ted shares his interest in humanities, particularly theater, and his involvement in various theater activities at Harvard. He discusses his consideration of theater conservatory programs and urban planning after graduation. Joining the Peace Corps and Sailing across the Atlantic Ted recounts his application to the Peace Corps and the unexpected...
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155. Lloyd Lee, A Blessed Life and Real Estate Private Equity
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Lloyd opens the conversation by talking about the infinite opportunities at Harvard and encourages incoming freshmen to make the most of their time there. Lloyd shares his initial plan to study pre-med but also pursued fine arts, specifically architecture, and theater work. He mentions meeting Professor James Stilgoe at the Graduate School of Design, which opened his eyes to opportunities beyond STEM. From Cornell to New York City Lloyd discusses his decision to attend Cornell and his subsequent move to New York City. He had two job offers: working at Disney or a consulting firm,...
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154. Trisha Pérez Kennealy, Culinary Arts & Community Building
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Trisha Pérez Kennealy describes her initial stint in New York in commercial banking, followed by investment banking and studying to become a chef at Le Cordon Bleu in London, where she lived for three years. She moved back to the United States, settling in Lexington. She has three children and while they were little, she was active in town meetings, became a town official, and advocated for public education. In 2010, Trisha bought a property near the Battle Green in Lexington and converted it into a luxury hotel with 22 guest rooms and a restaurant. It opened in 2014...
info_outlineShow 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