Faculty Profile: Shana Johnson

Shana Johnson grew up in rural Kentucky and received her BA from the University of Kentucky. Shana began her career as an attorney twenty-five years ago after receiving her Juris Doctorate from Memphis State University - Cecil C. Humphreys College of Law.  Shana has been employed by the State of Tennessee for twenty-five years as an Assistant District Public Defender in the Twenty-Fifth Judicial District (Lauderdale, Tipton, Fayette, Hardeman and McNairy Counties).  Shana Johnson has been the Senior Assistant District Public Defender for Lauderdale, Tipton, Fayette, Hardeman and McNairy Counties for over twenty-one years.  In her twenty plus years of public service Shana Johnson has handled the defense of tens of thousands of criminal cases ranging from class c misdemeanors to capital cases in all courts in all five counties. Shana is one of only two First Chair Capital Case (Death Penalty Qualified) Defense Attorneys in the Twenty-Fifth Judicial District. Shana's last Capitol Murder case was concluded prior to trial with the court granting a dismissal of all charges and expungement of the defendant's record. She has sat as Special Judge for City, Juvenile and General Sessions Courts in Fayette County.  Shana has participated in numerous seminars and conferences over the years not only on the state level but national level as well.  Shana attended the National Symposium on DNA Analysis in Tampa, FL., The National Advocates for the Defense of Children Conference in Orlando, FL., National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Southern Center for Human Rights Capital Case Conference in Atlanta, GA.  Shana is a current member of Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Tennessee Bar Association, and Fayette County and Hardeman County Bar Associations. Most recently she is a founding member of the Hardeman County Recovery Court team. She has attended and completed training at the National Drug Court Institute and observed the St. Charles Missouri Mentor Court. As well, she is a member of the Tennessee Board of Bar Examiners.  Shana is very active as a volunteer in the district with organizations such as Relay for Life, St. Jude Children's Hospital, Dolly Parton Imagination Library (Hardeman and Fayette County Chapters), STAR, Inc. Acting Troupe, Fayette County Chamber of Commerce-past member of board of directors, Boy Scout and Girl Scout Supporter, and a animal rescue advocate.  Shana is a past member of the Board of Directors Corrections Management Corporation, Fayette County Foster Care Review Board, the Board of Directors at Fayette Academy and the Somerville City Beautification Board.  Shana has been a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church and is currently a member of the First United Methodist Church at Somerville. Shana is the mother of two children twenty-two year old Trent Johnson an EMT and United States Army National Guard Medic and seventeen year old Charleston Johnson a senior at Fayette Academy who is President of  her church's MYF and a counselor at Lakeshore UMA Camps.   In 1992 Shana Johnson received the Woman of Distinction Award from the Reelfoot Girl Scout Council. Shana was nominated by her peers and selected to participate in the elite and competitive Tennessee Bar Association Law Leadership Program in 2006 and is a graduate of their Class of 2006. Shana is always willing to extend some of her knowledge of the justice field to beginner and veteran attorneys.