Fearless Trial Litigators Pursuing Justice and Intensive Learning
Our Mission
SJLF was founded in 2021, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and inspired by the legacy of Thurgood Marshall – one of the most influential trial lawyers of all time – who was known for doing what was right and “letting the law catch up.” SJLF has a dual mission: to bring impactful and innovative trial litigation serving communities affected by the carceral and police state, and to train and develop the next generation of civil rights lawyers to be fearless in their pursuit of justice. As a small but well-resourced public interest nonprofit, SJLF is unique in its ability to pursue creative cases that do right by our communities, while pushing the law to “catch up.”
Why We Are Different
As a novel organization fueled by our fellows, we bring fresh perspectives to some of the most intractable issues. We are trial lawyers with grit, who are not afraid to take risks and think creatively. Our private sector backing gives us the freedom to address communities’ most pressing needs in combatting the carceral and police systems. We collaborate with law schools across the country, including Columbia, Howard, Northwestern, Stanford, UCLA, and Yale law schools to identify pressing legal issues and to mentor and develop a new generation of trial lawyers in the non-profit sector. We leverage the experience of our team of experienced litigators, advocates, academics from SJLF’s Board of Advisors, and trial lawyers from SJLF’s founding firm, Hueston Hennigan, to mentor the next generation of courtroom titans advancing justice.
In Collaboration With
Academic partners from top law schools throughout the nation, as well as grassroots and community led movements.
