After teaching linguistics at Wheaton College (1958–1964) and Michigan State University (1964–1967), Shuy accepted a position at the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, D.C., as head of its newly created program for studying urban language.[4] In 1968, Shuy moved to Georgetown University, where he founded and directed the Sociolinguistics Program and was full professor of linguistics until he retired from teaching in 1998 as Distinguished Research Professor of Linguistics, Emeritus.[3][5][6] During his 30 years at Georgetown, Shuy helped create two new organizations, New Ways of Analyzing Variation and the American Association of Applied Linguistics, where he was its second president and was later given the award of Distinguished Scholarship and Service.[6][7][8] While at Georgetown, he also began a new phase of work on criminal and civil cases as a consultant and expert witness.[2][6] Shuy first testified as a linguistics expert for the defendant in Texas v. T. Cullen Davis.[9] Shuy's 1979 testimony regarding undercover audio recordings led to Davis's acquittal.