Sherrilyn Ifill

About

American lawyer who is known for being president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. She is also known for her work as a law profession at the University of Maryland Law School. 

Before Fame

She earned her BA from Vassar College and then her JD from New York University's School of Law. She started her career at the Legal Defense Fund where she focused on litigating Voting Rights Act cases. She gained attention as part of the Houston Lawyers' Association v. Attorney General of Texas case. 

Trivia

She was a finalist for the Hurston-Wright Legacy Award for Nonfiction in 2008 for her book On the Courthouse Lawn: Confronting the Legacy of Lynching in the 21st Century. 

Family Life

She is the cousin of news anchor Gwen Ifill. 

Associated With

She is known for being the Legal Defense Fund's seventh president since Thurgood Marshall founded the organization in 1940.