Attorney Profiles

Biography

“I want to use the law as a tool to fight for social justice and to be a voice for the powerless in society,” says attorney Lisa White Shirley. Lisa has certainly dedicated her legal career to this goal. Prior to joining Baron & Budd, she represented Florida state prisoners in federal civil rights law cases to stop such unconstitutional treatment as physical abuse and abhorrent solitary confinement conditions. As an appellate attorney with Baron & Budd, Lisa handles appeals and briefs issues of substantive law on behalf of plaintiffs injured by toxic substances, including asbestos and benzene. “Baron & Budd uses sophisticated legal advocacy on behalf of truly deserving clients who would otherwise be without a remedy for terrible injuries and injustices caused by corporate wrongdoing,” she says of her reason for joining the firm.

Lisa’s legal talents first became apparent while a student at Tulane University School of Law, from which she graduated summa cum laude in 1999. In law school, Lisa served on the Tulane Law Review and received the Morrison Law Review Award for Best Comment. She was also a recipient of the John Minor Wisdom Award and was named to the prestigious Order of the Coif for her academic accomplishments. After graduating from law school, Lisa served as a law clerk to Justice Walter Marcus of the Louisiana Supreme Court from 1999 - 2000. She subsequently received a two-year public interest fellowship from Equal Justice Works to advocate for the rights of Florida prisoners through Florida Institutional Legal Services, and continued with the non-profit legal services organization as a staff attorney until joining Baron & Budd in 2006.