Shawn C. Holley

Holley, modestly, says she was in the right place at the right time.

It was the early 1990s, and the young attorney had been delivering oral argument in a case when she caught the eye of famed civil rights and criminal defense attorney Johnnie L. Cochran Jr.

Unknown to her at the time but that argument set in motion what has today become a fruitful career of representing high-profile clients including Kim Kardashian West, Rosario Dawson and, most notoriously, O.J. Simpson.

Holley had been a public defender in Los Angeles for five years when she and Cochran crossed paths. Cochran approached Holley in an attempt to recruit her to join his firm, which specialized in civil rights and police misconduct cases.

“Johnnie Cochran was a living legend in LA at that time, especially in the Black community, and so I accepted his offer, even though his firm didn’t practice criminal law at the time,” Holley said.

In a twist of fate, however, her criminal background would soon become a key asset to the firm, and would propel her on an upward trajectory in her career.

Just six months after she accepted Cochran’s offer, he was retained to represent O.J. Simpson in his highly-publicized double-murder trial.

As one of just two lawyers in the 15-attorney firm who had criminal law experience, Cochran quickly called on Holley to be part of his “dream team” of attorneys.

After the 16-month trial and subsequent acquittal, Holley saw a void in the firm that she could fill.

“When the case ended, I asked Johnnie if I could create and head up the firm’s criminal practice,” she said. “And he said yes.”

Over the next few decades, Holley has continued to represent similar clients in high-stakes and highly-publicized litigation. Today, she is a partner at Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump LLP.

She recently accompanied Kim Kardashian West to a meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office to secure the release of Alice Marie Johnson, who was sentenced to life in prison on a first-time drug charge.

Most of her cases involving high-profile clients don’t go to trial, she said. Which means her work is largely focused on “minimizing damage” and “keeping things as quiet as possible.”

“People with high profiles have well-earned images, reputations and brands which need to be protected,” she said. “A high-profile legal proceeding, particularly the kinds of cases I handle, has the potential to severely jeopardize those important and valuable assets.”

— Tyler Pialet