Judge Shields is the first woman to serve as a Magistrate Judge in the District Court of Indiana. She was also the first woman Indiana Court of Appeals Judge and the first woman to hold a general jurisdiction judgeship when she became Judge of the Hamilton County Superior Court. Prior to joining the Bench, Judge Shields was attorney and regional counsel for the Internal Revenue Service and a year later, she became Deputy Attorney General for the State of Indiana. She has worked hard throughout her career to improve the administration of justice, serving on numerous committees and commissions. Judge Shields received the Indianapolis Bar Association's first Antoinette Dakin Leach Award and its Paul Buchanan Award of Excellence.