J.D., Harvard Law School
B.S. Georgetown University
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry (Hank) Shea joined the Law School in the fall 2006 semester as a Distinguished Senior Fellow with an appointment as a Fellow in the Thomas Holloran Center for Ethical Leadership in the Professions.
Shea is teaching a new course, Ethical Leadership in Litigation, and assisting the Law School to realize the Holloran Center's mission to provide leading-edge interdisciplinary research, curriculum development, and programs that focus on forming students and practicing professionals into accomplished servant leaders in their communities. As part of that effort, Shea is engaging in a unique collaboration with white-collar offenders, many of whom he prosecuted, to make joint ethics presentations and publish articles and a possible book of why they committed their crimes, and the consequences and lessons learned from their misconduct.
Shea has been one the country's most effective white-collar crime prosecutors. He served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) for the District of Minnesota for almost eighteen years and has served there as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney since January 2007. Between 1994 and 1998, Shea served as the Chief of his Office's Economic Crime Section. From crimes that Shea prosecuted, the U.S. Attorney's Office collected more than $50 million in restitution, fines, and forfeitures.
As an AUSA, Shea was awarded a U.S. Department of Justice Commendation (Environmental Division) in 2003, a U.S. Department of Justice Director's Award in 2002 and 2000, a U.S. Chief Postal Inspector's Special Award in 2000, and a U.S. Department of Justice Special Achievement Award in 1991, 1990, and 1989. In June 2007, Shea received the Minnesota State Bar Association Professional Excellence Award for outstanding efforts to advance the legal profession and the administration of justice.
Shea's began his legal career through service in the armed forces. After graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in 1978, and cum laude with a Juris Doctorate from Harvard Law School in 1981, Shea served for four years, active duty, with the United States Army. He worked as an Assistant to the General Counsel in the U.S. Department of the Army at the Pentagon from 1981-1985. He was awarded the Army's Meritorious Service Medal in 1985. After leaving active duty, Shea continued to serve as an Army Reserve Officer in the Judge Advocate General Corps from 1985-1992.
Prior to rejoining the Justice Department in 1994, Shea was a shareholder with Leonard, Street and Deinard in Minneapolis for two years. Shea also served as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington D.C. in 1985.
Shea also has been a frequent speaker on business and legal ethics and white-collar crime. He has given more than 90 presentations locally and nationally in the last three years.
In addition to his professional achievements, Shea is a member of the Board of Directors of Youth Frontiers, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has served as the chair of the Board of Directors of Benilde-St. Margaret's School in St. Louis Park, Minnesota from 2004-2005, as part of four years of Board service. Previously, he served for eleven years, from 1987 to 1998, on the Board of the St. Louis Park Emergency Program, a non-profit food shelf. For three of those years, Shea served as Board chair.
Courses Taught
Ethical Leadership in Litigation
Crime and Punishment
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