Profiles
Shanita Asante Challenges Norms to Fight Workplace Discrimination
April 21, 2023
Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Shanita Asante has always wanted to make a career out of fighting for
equal justice. “Like many people in my community, [I] experienced the firsthand effects of institutional discrimination, particularly with laws and policies that appear neutral,” she says.
As a solo labor and employment law attorney, Asante says she possesses a “license to challenge systematic failures” and “confront inequitable laws and advocate for justice.”
Asante gained experience in the political and nonprofit realms before deciding to go to law school. From 2010 to 2011, she worked for a New York state senator researching local government policies to identify needs for small business owners and responding to constituents’ and lobbyists’ inquiries and concerns. Then Asante joined Urban Alliance, which connects high school students to skilled training, mentorships, and paid internships.
Asante entered Howard University School of Law in 2013 with the intention of practicing education law. “I quickly learned that inequities in education were truly rooted in civil rights issues and systematic racism,” she says. That realization, in addition to Howard’s curriculum and emphasis on social justice, led to her decision to focus on civil rights law. “Irrespective of the substantive nature of our legal courses, our professors urged us to consider the impact of the law on people of color and on marginalized communities,” says Asante.
She further narrowed her studies to civil rights implications in employment and in the administration of government programs, vowing to advocate for clients impacted by institutional discrimination.
Following graduation from law school in 2016, Asante held several positions, including as clerk in D.C. Superior Court and in the general counsel’s office of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and as an extern with the World Bank’s Ethics and Business Conduct Department. She then joined the Transportation Security Administration, serving as equal employment case manager and mediator.
Shortly after, Asante joined the firm Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell LLP where she counseled clients on compliance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations and independent statutory obligations for airport revenue use and diversion. Asante also researched discrimination complaints as a contract attorney/adjudicator at Ancon Group, LLC before launching her own firm in 2021.
“Being an attorney is different from what I initially expected, and I appreciate the reality that we can shape our legal careers as the law progresses. Millennial lawyers are shaking up the rigid norms [and] customs of practicing law, and I am thrilled to be a part of this new wave of lawyers,” says Asante, whose practice focuses on dispute prevention and resolution; litigation; diversity, equity, and inclusion counseling; and employment law consulting.
As a solo attorney, Asante has taken advantage of several D.C. Bar offerings to further develop her expertise. “The D.C. Bar has insightful educational resources and professional networks that help to sharpen my legal skills. I enjoy the writing workshops and employment law update courses,” Asante says.
