S. Adele Shank is an attorney in private practice in Columbus, Ohio. Her practice includes representation of capital defendants in trial, appeal, state post conviction, and federal habeas corpus proceedings, as well as representation of counsel in matters relating to attorney-client privilege and ethical matters that arise in the context of criminal representation, the application of international human rights standards in capital cases, and clemency.
She headed the legal team that successfully defended against the Ohio Attorney General’s challenge to Governor Richard F. Celeste’s 1991 grants of commutation to seven death row inmates. State ex rel. Maurer v. Sheward, 71 Ohio St.3d 513 (1995). Ms. Shank appeared before the United States Supreme Court to argue Ohio Adult Parole Authority v. Woodard, 140 L.Ed.2d 387 (1998), a challenge to Ohio’s death 5 penalty clemency procedures.
Ms. Shank is the author of several publications including “The Death Penalty in Ohio: Fairness, Reliability and Justice at Risk,” 63 Ohio St. L. J. 371 (2002), “Obligations to Foreigners Accused of Crime in the United States: A Failure of Enforcement,” 9 Criminal Law Forum 99 (1998/99), and “Foreigners on Texas’s Death Row and the Right of Access to a Consul,” 26 St. Mary’s L. J. 719 (1995). She was formerly General Counsel to the Ohio Pubic Defender. Ms. Shank received a B.A. and M.A. from Ohio State University and a J.D from the Ohio State University College of Law.