Justice Shannon Frison was appointed to the Massachusetts Superior Court in March of 2013 at age 42.  She took that seat after serving for more than 3 years on the Boston Municipal Court in from 2009-2013, beginning her tenure on the bench at age 39.  Before her 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.  Justice Frison spent nearly seven years as a litigation associate at the former white collar defense firm, Dwyer & Collora, LLP in Boston, MA, prior to opening her own firm. 

Justice Frison Graduated from Hyde Park Career Academy in 1988 and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Government from Harvard University & Radcliffe College in 1992.  She went on to receive her Juris Doctorate 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. She continued on to complete The Basic School and Naval Justice School in 1997.  From 1997-2000 she was the prosecutor aboard Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina. 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 recently a member of the Boston Bar Association’s “Task Force to Prevent Wrongful Convictions” and Harvard Law School’s Trial Advocacy Workshop.  She is the immediate past President of the Massachusetts Black Judges Conference.  Judge Frison is a jurist, a Major of Marines, and a mentor to new trial lawyers.