Sherrilyn Ifill is a distinguished civil rights attorney who has spent her career fighting for racial justice and equality through both legal practice and public advocacy. As the former president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), Ifill led the organization in its efforts to combat systemic racism, especially in the areas of voting rights, criminal justice reform, and racial discrimination. Her work has included high-profile cases challenging discriminatory voter ID laws, defending minority rights, and advocating for the protection of the Voting Rights Act. Ifill’s legal expertise, paired with her deep commitment to social justice, made her one of the most influential civil rights attorneys of her generation, and she was a leading voice in advancing policy changes that aim to reduce racial inequality in the U.S.
Beyond her work as an attorney, Ifill has been a tireless advocate for the intersection of race and law, using her platform to educate and inspire broader societal conversations about racial injustice. She has written extensively on topics of race, law, and democracy, and her book, On the Courthouse Lawn: Confronting the Legacy of Lynching in the 21st Century, explores the long-lasting effects of racial violence in the U.S. Ifill’s advocacy is defined by her belief that the law should be a tool for social transformation, not merely for procedural fairness, and she has worked to ensure that marginalized communities have access to the protections they deserve. Her contributions to civil rights law and public discourse have left a lasting impact on the fight for racial equality in the United States.
