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.”