Last March, Melody Shekari decided she’d spent enough time in jail and was ready to leave.
Unlike the inmates at the prisons Shekari frequented in her role as a criminal defense attorney, the choice was hers to make. While she found her work, which primarily involved representing individuals who were unable to pay for a lawyer and could not be assisted by a public defender, satisfying, she’d spent enough time behind bars, she decided.
“I was looking to get out of the legal field,” Shekari says. “I did about 900 cases in five years, which was stressful. After I did my first and only murder trial last March, I wanted to do something else.”
Shekari knew she’d miss calling her parents and telling them she was in jail, she says, but it was time. An activist with a heart for big issues, she hoped to find a job that would allow her to have a broader impact than she was having serving individuals.
“I’m thankful I did what I did, because the only way to really learn about how policy affects individuals is to spend time with them in the trenches,” Shekari notes. “But I wanted to look at things from a bird’s eye view and find solutions to big problems.”
Shekari has since found a new role as the executive director of The Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga, a nonprofit that aims to catalyze social change that improves life for women and girls in Tennessee. While she still has a few cases to wrap up, she’s now focused on spearheading an organization with several goals.
Those goals are critical to women and girls in the state, says Women’s Fund board member Rachael Sauceman.
“The Women’s Fund is currently focused on two primary advocacy objectives: addressing the root causes of poor maternal health outcomes and improving outcomes for women and girls impacted by state guardianship. Both issues require careful planning and long-term investment.
“Melody will be working with the board to build the organizational structure and strategic plan to support these key advocacy initiatives, focusing on sustainability and building power to make a lasting and significant change for women and girls in our state.”
Changing lives for women and girls across Tennessee for the better means advocating for stronger families, of which men and non-gendered individuals are an important part, Shekari says. However, focusing on women and girls and the issues that are specific to them could improve outcomes, she adds.
Shekari cites the Women’s Fund’s work in 2023 to pass state legislation that defines financial abuse as domestic abuse as an example of a positive outcome. The new law (T.C.A. § 36-3-601) drastically broadens the scope of domestic abuse and will have a significant impact on Orders of Protection, suggests an article published through the Nashville Criminal Lawyers Blog Jan. 3.
“A woman in Chattanooga brought that issue to the Women’s Fund, and then we advocated at the state level and worked with other organizations across Tennessee to make it happen,” Shekari reports.
T.C.A. § 36-3-601 was sponsored by Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) and Rep. Rebecca Alexander (R-Jonesborough), and co-sponsored by a host of additional legislators, which speaks to the access the Women’s Fund has attained since launching in 2008.
The nonprofit will leverage that access in 2024 to tackle its primary objectives, Shekari says.
“We’ve been discussing alternative court systems and how they might impact guardianship in a positive way. I’ve been involved in drug court locally, and I like alternative court systems. They’re solutions-oriented; they look at addressing the root causes of someone’s behavior and providing support rather than punishing the person.”
Shekari says the Women’s Fund’s efforts this year to improve maternal health will also be vital, as the statistics in Tennessee are dire.
“We have worse outcomes than many other states, so we’ll be looking at that this year, as well.”
Shekari brings a history of community advocacy and a keen interest in the political process to her leadership role at the Women’s Fund. In addition to participating in the service-oriented activities of the Young Lawyers Division of the Chattanooga Bar Association, she volunteers as an election polling official in Hamilton County.
Additionally, Shekari traveled to three foreign nations in 2023 (Serbia, Uzbekistan and Albania) to observe elections through the U.S. Department of State, which is a member of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe.
“That was a great experience,” Shekario recalls. “Our democracy is being challenged in many ways these days, and a lot of the concerns in the United States and in other countries are very similar. I like that we’re more similar than different. It means we’re all in this together.”
Shekari is also versed in managing teams, consulting with local officials and preparing federal grant applications, and she brings an extensive education to her new position. Her degrees include a managerial economics from Bentley University, a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Washington and a Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California.
Sauceman says Shekari’s background has given her a strong sense of mission and a driving passion for work that educates and inspires staff, volunteers and stakeholders.
“Melody also has a strong foundation in organizational and budgetary management through running her own law firm, which the board believes will help ensure the long-term success and sustainability of our work. She also has experience in motivating individuals to give to a cause, which is a critical component of the Women’s Fund.”
While Shekari is setting aside her law practice to focus on her responsibilities at the Women’s Fund, she plans to maintain her license, as well as her membership in the CBA. She also hopes to be a ubiquitous presence at the YLD’s many clinics in 2023 and beyond, she says.
“I’ve already told (YLD vice president) Mary Francis (DeVoe) that I’m available for expungement clinics, and I’ll be volunteering at the mock trial competition every day.”
However, Shekari won’t be spending any more time in jail, she says.
“I’m excited about being more in the community and less in jail and the courthouse. That’ll make my parents happy, too.’”