Almost a decade after he faced 50 years in prison, Theo Shaw, a member of the Jena 6, has been sworn in as an attorney.

According to the New Orleans Times Picayune, Shaw was sworn into the District of Columbia's bar association Friday by Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Johnson.

In 2006, Shaw and five other Black teenage boys made nationwide headlines after they were charged with attempted murder following a fight with a White student from their Jena, Louisiana high school.

According to the teens, the fight was a result of racially charged incidents at their school.

Unable to make bail, Shaw spent seven months in jail awaiting trial. The original felony charge was lowered to misdemeanor simple battery. He pleaded no contest, and his record was later expunged

After the court case came to an end, Shaw was offered a full scholarship to the University of Washington, where he studied law. Last June, he delivered the commencement address, having been elected by the university's graduating class, NOLA.com reports.