Shadi is a trial attorney and St.
Petersburg native who passionately represents his clients in courts throughout the Tampa Bay.
Though he was born in St.
Petersburg, Florida, he spent the first 10 years of his life in Freetown, Sierra Leone with his mother, father, and three brothers.
On May 26, 1997, at the height of the Sierra Leone civil war, his family was evacuated by the U.S.
22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the naval ship USS Kearsarge, in Operation Noble Obelisk, along with 453 American citizens.
He has lived in St.
Petersburg ever since.
He began his legal education in Pinellas Park High School at the Criminal Justice Academy.
He continued to the University of South Florida, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with cum laude honors, majoring in Governmental & International Affairs and minoring in Professional and Technical Writing.
During his time at USF, he was a founding member of the Center for Civic Engagement and President of the Law Society.
In 2008, he received the USF Student Leader of the Year Award for outstanding community involvement and service.
After completing his undergraduate studies, he attended law school at Stetson University College of Law.
During his time there, he was a recipient of the Equal Justice Works stipend for commitment and dedication to public service.
He spent his summer working in the General Counsel’s Office of the Department of Children and Families.
During his final year of law school, he was a Certified Legal Intern authorized to practice law by the Supreme Court of Florida in the 6th Judicial Circuit as a criminal defense attorney in juvenile and adult cases.
He was an Ambassador of the College of Law, a member of the Barney Masterson American Inns of Court, and a member of the American Bar Association, traveling across the country on behalf of Stetson University.
In his final year, he was a recipient of the Book Award in Immigration Law and Advocacy as well as the William F.
Blews Pro Bono Service Award.
