Shanta Owens and Shera Grant recently became the first and only identical twins to serve as state court judges in Jefferson County, Alabama, at the same time.
Both Honorable Grant and Honorable Owens, who had dreamed of becoming lawyers since elementary school, began serving as District County Judges in the Birmingham area and Jefferson County, Alabama, respectively.
Their journey began at LSU Law, where they got a complete legal education that provided the groundwork for their successful careers. The twins, who consider themselves closest friends and often complete each other’s sentences, attribute their love of learning, reading, and studying to their mother, a librarian at the Birmingham Public Library.
RELATED STORIES
After graduating from Alabama State University in 1999, they sought out a law school that would enable them to pursue their common dream together. This led them to LSU Law.
In addition to actively participating in student organizations like the Black Law Students Association and Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity, the sisters also took part in the summer program in Aix-En Provence, France.
Shera went on to work as a criminal prosecutor in Atlanta following their graduation in 2002, while Shanta prosecuted cases in the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office in Birmingham.
Shera returned to Birmingham and worked as a criminal prosecutor before being assigned to the Jefferson County District Court, whereas Shanta was elected to the position of district judge in 2008 and then nominated to fill a vacancy on the Circuit Court.
The sisters are proud of their rare distinction of serving as state court judges at the same time, with Shanta presiding over a criminal court and Shera ruling over a civil court.
Apart from their identical jobs, it was reported in 2020 that the twins also reside in the same neighborhood, spending time with their remarkably similar families, which included 11-year-old daughters and 8-year-old boys.
Not only do their husbands have a strong bond, but they have been best friends since kindergarten, the report said.
