It's certainly been a week of juggling no-show clients and judges who are not amused for Shawn Chapman-Holley. Despite having one of the most troubled celebrities as a client, this UCLA graduate has kept her cool under what's surely a bright spotlight. But it's one she's surely used to. She has represented other troubled celebrities in the past; including Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton and Michael Jackson, just to name a few. She's one of the most well respected attorneys in the country and was recently named as one of the Super Lawyers for 2010.
Chapman-Holley is a partner with Kinsella, Weitzman, Iser, Jump and Aldisert, LLP. The firm is described as a ''boutique entertainment and business litigation firm in Santa Monica''. Before she was rescuing troubled starlets from themselves, Chapman-Holley first began her career as a public defender in Los Angeles County, CA. From there, she became a managing partner with The Cochran Firm and led its national criminal defense section. She is as brilliant in a civil courtroom as she is a criminal court of law and has many successes in both arenas.
She has made many appearances on national television shows in the role of a legal expert. Some of those appearances include E! Network, PrimeTime Live, Fox News, CNN, ABC News, Court TV and even MTV. Somehow, this busy attorney finds time to serve as a lecturer at Benjamin N. Cardozo Law Schools ''Intensive Trial Advocacy Program'' at New York City's Yeshiva University. She is also often asked to be a guest speaker for high profile cases, women in the legal field and of course, her work with celebrities. You never know when you'll see her breaking down the intricacies of the American legal system on television.
For now, Chapman-Holley is gearing up to handle her latest ill-behaved celebrity who failed to appear before a judge in May, 2010. Lindsay Lohan faces time behind bars unless her attorney can convince the judge to take a different route. She has her work cut out for her, to be sure. Before Lohan could leave Cannes, where Lohan found herself stranded, Chapman-Holley arranged to have a temporary passport issued so that Lohan could be back in the states before her next court hearing.
Shawn Chapman Holley is proof that attorneys can remain ethical and dedicated to their clients without further complicating the matter, sacrificing the legal system or cutting corners. She is an example for many young attorneys across the nation. Regardless of what happens in her latest high profile case, you can be sure she will continue to handle her cases with that same dignity and ethical approach she affords every other aspect of her life.
This busy mother of three daughters is married to Dorian Holley, who is an Associate Music Director and vocal coach on American Idol. She shares her time between the east and west coasts and manages to juggle her incredibly busy life with grace and pride.
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