Jun 20, 2024 | Shaketta A. Denson
Shakétta Denson (Chimber) doesn’t settle for what others consider to be acceptable. Driven early in her youth by what she believes to have been a calling to law, she has always felt a strong desire to set things right. “I have always had a profound sense of justice,” Shakétta explains. “It bothers me when things are not just; I can’t let them be. There’s got to be some way for us to make it right.”
Indeed, Shakétta dreamed of growing up to be a lawyer, and – as no stranger to hard work – she pursued her dream with tenacity at the earliest opportunity. When asked how she felt having achieved her dream after years of education and hard work, Shakétta remarked, “I don’t think about the work that went into it… There was no other option. This is what has to be done; okay, we’ve got to do it.”
Shakétta’s dedication to fighting for her clients proved unwavering when, in April 2024, she and her client secured a life-changing victory in the courtroom. When asked what her and her client were up against, Shakétta nearly chuckled: “Every single challenge.” Her client was already suffering from pre-existing concussion-related health challenges when she was rear-ended while waiting at a red traffic signal. The force of the collision resulted in a concussion which aggravated some of her previous health issues, leaving her with new symptoms such as stutter and memory loss, severely impacting her ability to attend her advanced education classes, and – worse – comfortably live her daily life. A serving Navy member whose passion was to support her country, her client was now having trouble supporting herself, and a seemingly endless schedule of doctors appointments was challenging her spirit as the bills continued to rack up with no relief in sight.
But Shakétta’s sincerity and determination to fight for her client’s rights, combined with her client’s strength and transparency, turned the tables. “I think that they saw how honest she was,” Shakétta explains. “I think when you are authentic, juries can see that. They can see that I genuinely care, and when I’m talking to my client, it’s not about money – it’s about really conveying what they’ve gone through to a jury. I think people can sense that.”
In Shakétta’s world, cultivating a can-do attitude begins with making deep connections to her clients. “When you actually care, and get to know people, that comes through,” Shakétta remarks. “I speak to my clients hundreds of times. I know their families. I go to prep them at their homes.” In bonding closely with her clients, Shakétta inherits their obstacles as her own.
After a tough four-day trial, Shakétta and her team were able to secure for her client a verdict almost six-times the insurance carrier’s settlement offer. Shakétta cites her propensity for hard work and attention to detail as big factors in the ruling: “I know my cases inside and out. I know every single line, every page of their medical records. Every deposition. I know all of it. And I think that comes across to a jury.” When asked what made this victory special, Shakétta spoke to the raw emotion of the matter: “Our clients have worked so hard to achieve their dreams in life; then something like this happens, and that dream is taken away from them. The tears of relief, the client finally feeling heard. That’s what makes this sweet.”
Shakétta Denson (Chimber) has been an attorney at ChasenBoscolo for nearly ten years. The firm, like Shakétta, is familiar with putting in the hard work. In Shakétta’s words: “Here at ChasenBoscolo, we know it, we live it, we breathe it.” Shakétta cites ChasenBoscolo’s autonomy and inclination toward challenging norms as just a few of the factors which set the firm apart from the competition.
For Shakétta, care and hard work are the essence. One can be certain that she will continue fighting for her clients for decades to come: “Being a lawyer is part of my identity. I don’t ever see myself not doing this, because I love it.”
