Shannon Richards

Shannon joined SCPDA in 2019 after graduating from Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law in Philadelphia, PA.  Shannon earned her B.A. at Fordham University in New York City.  During law school, she worked as a certified legal intern at the Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office in the juvenile division.  She externed with Philadelphia Legal Assistance’s Medical-Legal Community Partnership and the Department of the Interior’s Office of Civil Rights.  Shannon also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Judge Sierra Thomas Street in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas.  

“I became a public defender because I believe that every person has a story that warrants compassion.  I want to tell those stories, fight against systemic racism and injustice, and empower those living in poverty. “