Judge Shannon Frison is not your average jurist, and she doesn’t look like one either. With visible tattoos and a commanding presence, the Harvard and Georgetown-educated Marine Corps Major is shattering every preconceived notion about what a judge is supposed to look like.
Her story is the ultimate reminder: don’t judge a book by its cover.
Appointed to the Massachusetts Superior Court at just 42 years old, Judge Frison made history after already serving on the Boston Municipal Court since age 39. But beyond her robe and gavel is a woman with a story inked in both achievement and authenticity. Her tattoos aren’t just body art—they’re a reflection of a life lived with boldness, discipline, and unapologetic individuality.
Before taking the bench, Frison was a successful defense attorney and the founder of Frison Law Firmhttps://frisonlawfirm.com/about-shannon-frison, where she specialized in blue-collar criminal defense and military justice. She cut her teeth in litigation during her nearly seven-year tenure at Dwyer & Collora, a respected white-collar defense firm in Boston.
Her legal career began in the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office, where she served as an Assistant District Attorney.
But it’s her military career that adds another layer of distinction. A Major in the United States Marine Corps, Frison was commissioned in 1994 and went on to serve as a prosecutor aboard Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina. Her military accolades and legal acumen make her a rare combination of grit, intellect, and leadership.
Judge Frison holds degrees from Harvard University and Georgetown University Law Center and has never stopped giving back. She’s taught at Brandeis University, served on Harvard Law School’s Trial Advocacy Workshop, and worked with the Boston Bar Association’s Task Force to Prevent Wrongful Convictions. A past president of the Massachusetts Black Judges Conference, she continues to mentor young lawyers and advocate for systemic reform.
Despite—or perhaps because of—her unconventional appearance, Judge Frison has become a powerful symbol of what modern leadership can look like: smart, disciplined, authentic, and deeply rooted in purpose.
In a profession still dominated by rigid expectations, Judge Shannon Frison walks proudly in her skin, her uniform, and her robes.
