Hon. Charles A. Shaw, Class of 1974, Senior U.S. District Judge, Eastern District of Missouri, received the Benjamin N. Cardozo Award from the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers on April 9, 2015. The Cardozo Award is presented "in recognition of judicial courage and excellence." Judge Shaw was selected to receive the Cardozo Award in recognition of his long-standing efforts opposing mandatory federal sentencing guidelines that restrict the ability of federal judges to exercise their experience and discretion to impose a sentence that is fair for the particular circumstances of the crime and the individual defendant.

In 2013, Judge Shaw published his memoir, entitled Watch Everything: A Judicial Memoir with a Point of View. Among other topics, the book discusses Judge Shaw's efforts to fight against mandatory sentencing guidelines, and the impact the guidelines had and continue to have on the African American community.