Attorney
Shawn Cabot is a civil rights attorney at Michigan Legal Center who has spent more than 20 years helping people across Michigan stand up to unfair treatment and government misconduct.
Shawn credits his father, a union worker, and his mother, a waitress at a small diner, with showing him the value of hard work. Growing up in a tight-knit family, he learned early that persistence, preparation, and a strong work ethic can shape the course of a person's life.
Shawn's commitment to civil rights is personal, and something he has wanted to fight for even as a kid.
Shawn is driven by a desire to help people who have been personally affected by civil rights issues and unfair treatment. His commitment to protecting the rights of others is personal. After experiencing bullying as a child, he learned early what it means to be targeted, unheard, and forced to stand up for himself.
"I was kind of always picked on as a kid," said Shawn. "It made me want to fight for myself and promote what I believed. This stuck with me to adulthood when I began fighting for other people who were victimized or not given the same opportunities as others."
Shawn understands that when people need a lawyer's help, they do not just need someone to memorize the law and regurgitate it back to them. People who are fighting to protect their civil rights need someone who will listen, understand what is at stake, and help them move forward.
"The first thing that's important in dealing with clients is to listen to them and be understanding," said Cabot. "People don't come into our office because they're on a winning streak. They come here because something bad has happened, and at times, nobody's listening to them."
Shawn's record includes civil rights trials, published appellate work, and cases involving police misconduct, unsafe equipment, and serious injuries.
Shawn argued for Leticia Rudolph after officers entered her home during a late-night welfare check and seized her for a psychiatric evaluation. The Sixth Circuit left the denial of qualified immunity in place on her unlawful mental-health seizure, excessively tight handcuffing, and excessive-force-during-seizure claims, allowing all three federal civil rights claims to continue.
Shawn represented a man who was stopped, frisked, tackled, and arrested merely because he was standing near a different person suspected of having a gun. The court denied the officers qualified immunity, allowing the Fourth Amendment claims to continue, and the case later settled.
The very first trial Shawn did with this office involved an off-duty Wayne County sheriff deputy who beat up a client. The case went to trial and resolved in a multimillion-dollar settlement.
A teenager working at a movie theater was in a lift hanging banners when the correct supervision and maintenance had not been done on the lift. She fell and broke open her head. Shawn tried the case in federal court, the case resolved, and the client was very happy.
In one police case, Shawn was the only lawyer on the plaintiff's side and won against three opposing lawyers. It was one lawyer for the plaintiff versus three defense attorneys, and the plaintiff got a verdict.
A ramp fell out of a rental vehicle and injured a client's knee. Several other attorneys turned him down. He came to the firm with a very short timeframe before the statute of limitations expired, and the case reached a favorable resolution.
Shawn specializes in Section 1983 litigation, which means that he helps people with claims made against government officials. Clients come to Shawn when their civil rights have been violated by police officers, public school employees, or other state actors.
Originally from Manistee, Michigan, Shawn grew up in a working-class family and was active in the arts as a young man.
His musical talents started in kindergarten when he performed in a Christmas musical and sang "The Candy Cane Kid" and went on to grow as a performer from there. In high school, Shawn continued his interest in singing. He was selected as one of Michigan's top ten male high school vocalists.
Those early experiences in music and performance helped shape Shawn's voice, confidence, and ability to advocate for others. The same strengths now show up in courtrooms where Shawn pushes back against unfair treatment and government misconduct.
