Justice Shawn Ellen LaGrua has been honored with the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers' (GAWL) prestigious Kathleen Kessler Award. This accolade is presented annually to a female attorney who demonstrates exceptional professionalism and dedication to service within the legal community. The award commemorates Kathleen Kessler, a pioneering trial attorney who tragically lost her life in the 1996 ValuJet Flight 592 crash.
"Justice LaGrua is a selfless trailblazer and long-term supporter of women lawyers in Georgia," GAWL stated while announcing the award. Her participation as a panelist at GAWL's January 2022 Path to Empowerment for Women on the Run event was highlighted, along with her role in helping a group of Georgia attorneys gain admission to the U.S. Supreme Court in November 2023. "Her professional acumen paired with her willingness to mentor and motivate female lawyers has led to significant progress in the political empowerment of women across our great state and nation."
Appointed by Governor Brian Kemp, Justice LaGrua joined the Supreme Court in December 2020 and secured re-election for a six-year term in May 2022. She previously served ten years on the Superior Court of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit. During her tenure there, she initiated "My Journey Matters," a probation program aimed at diverting young offenders from incarceration, and presided over the circuit’s first Re-Entry Court to aid former offenders’ reintegration into society.
Before her judicial appointments, Justice LaGrua held positions as Inspector General for the Georgia Secretary of State and Solicitor General for DeKalb County.
The Kathleen Kessler Award has been previously awarded to notable figures such as former Supreme Court of Georgia Chief Justices Leah Ward Sears and Carol Hunstein, as well as Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Dorothy Toth Beasley.
Justice LaGrua received this honor during GAWL's Sneaker Ball event on May 4.