Shanta Owens and Shera Grant are the first and only identical twins in Jefferson County, Alabama, to serve as state court judges at the same time.
Honorable Grant and Honorable Owens, both of whom had aspired to be lawyers since elementary school, began their careers as District County Judges in Birmingham and Jefferson County, Alabama, respectively.
Their journey began at LSU Law, where they received a comprehensive legal education that laid the foundation for their successful professions. The twins, who are best friends and frequently finish each other’s sentences, credit their love of learning, reading, and studying to their mother, a librarian at the Birmingham Public Library.
After graduating from Alabama State University in 1999, they looked for a law school where they could pursue their shared passion. This brought them to LSU Law.
The sisters participated in the summer program in Aix-en-Provence, France, in addition to actively participating in student groups such as the Black Law Students Association and the Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity.
Following their graduation in 2002, Shera went on to work as a criminal prosecutor in Atlanta, while Shanta prosecuted cases in the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office in Birmingham.
Shanta was elected to the position of district judge in 2008 and subsequently nominated to fill a vacancy on the Circuit Court, whilst Shera went to Birmingham and worked as a felony prosecutor until being transferred to the Jefferson County District Court.
Shanta presided over a criminal court, while Shera presided over a civil court.
Aside from their identical employment, the twins were believed to live in the same area in 2020, spending time with their astonishingly similar families, which comprised 11-year-old daughters and 8-year-old boys.
According to the story, their husbands not only share a great bond, but they have been best friends since kindergarten.