Our attorneys recognize their good fortune and are dedicated to sharing their skills with persons in need. We handle their pro bono representations with the same dedication, care, and skill we bring to every litigation. We get results.
Plaintiff v. Delaware Department of Corrections
John Shaw led a team, including David Fry, representing a woman who had been raped by a corrections officer in the only Delaware prison to house women offenders.
After uncovering evidence of multiple sexual assaults by corrections officers and a culture of retaliation against persons speaking out against prison rape, John and his team detailed the prison’s failings in a 300-paragraph amended complaint.
The Delaware Department of Corrections then settled the case, agreeing to sweeping structural changes in the prison environment in a 20-page, single-spaced consent agreement to prevent future rapes in the prison, and a substantial monetary settlement for the client.
Veterans’ Appeals
American veterans are often denied benefits by the Veteran’s Benefits Administration and are without representation when they appeal those decisions to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
John Shaw coordinated bringing the Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program to Delaware to train attorneys interested in helping veterans in need of assistance. John, Karen Keller, Jeff Castellano, Andrew Russell, and David Fry have successfully helped veterans in their appeals and in securing the benefits to which they are entitled under the law.
Women and Children in Need
The attorneys of Shaw Keller cooperate with Delaware legal service providers to provide counsel to underserved women and children. We take appointments as guardians ad litem from the Delaware Family Court to represent the best interests of at-risk children embroiled in custody disputes, actions for termination of parental rights, and other judicial proceedings. The relationships formed in these matters often evolve into-long term mentoring relationships.
We also represent women in divorce, custody, and Protection from Abuse proceedings in the Delaware Family Court. In one notable case, as a second-year lawyer Karen Keller successfully secured sole custody of a thirteen-year-old daughter for the mother, a difficult result under Delaware law in even the worst of circumstances.
Plaintiff v. Delaware State Police
Following an appointment by the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, John Shaw and Karen Keller led a team that won a jury trial against a state police officer who violated the Equal Protection rights of an African-American male.
The client was arrested after an altercation with two other men, but was charged with different, more serious crimes than the other participants. The jury awarded compensatory and punitive damages, although the district court then overturned the verdict. Undaunted, John and Karen reinstated the verdict with an appeal to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.