Lee Merritt

S. Lee Merritt, Esq., born Stacy Sylvester Lee Merritt,[1] is an American civil rights lawyer and activist, most known for his work on racial justice issues.

Early life and education

Merritt was born in South central Los Angeles and as a child moved to north Florida.[2]

Merritt graduated cum laude from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia and attended Temple University’s James Beasley School of Law, graduating in 2012.[3][4] While at Temple, Merritt participated in the trial advocacy program.[4]

Career

Following graduation from Morehouse College, Merritt taught in Camden, New Jersey through the Teach for America program.[2]

After graduating from Temple University, Merritt began his career at Cochran Firm Philadelphia and McEldrew Young.[3]

Merritt founded the Merritt Law Firm, which represents victims of police brutality, official corruption, corporate discrimination and hate based crimes. Based in Philadelphia, the firm takes on civil rights cases nationwide.[5]

Beating of Deandre Harris

On August 12, 2017, Deandre Harris was beaten in a parking garage by six men following a "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia; Merritt served as Harris' attorney in the case.[6][4]

Murder of Jordan Edwards

On April 29, 2017, Jordan Edwards, a 15-year-old African American male, was fatally shot in the back of the head while riding in the passenger's seat of a vehicle driving away from a house party by police officer Roy Oliver in Balch Springs, Texas, near Dallas. Merritt served as the Edwards' family attorney.[7][8]

Arrest of Marlin Gipson

Merritt represented 20-year-old Marlin Gipson after he was arrested then charged for failing to identify himself and resisting arrest. Gipson was passing out business cards for his lawn care service, but was misidentified as the suspect in a local string of burglaries.[9][10]

Shooting of Atatiana Jefferson

Atatiana Jefferson was fatally shot in her home by a police officer in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, in the early morning of October 12, 2019.[11] Merritt served as the family's attorney in this case.[12]

Shooting of Ahmaud Arbery

Merritt is currently serving as the lawyer for the family of Ahmaud Arbery,[13] who was jogging through Brunswick, Georgia, on February 23, 2020 and killed by two white men who claimed Arbery looked like a suspect in a string of local burglaries.[14] Merritt, alongside the lawyers for the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, plan to bring the case to the United Nations.[15][16]

Activism

In 2017, Merritt appeared before the National Black Caucus of State Legislators 41st Annual Conference on a Town Hall panel to discuss mass incarceration. “Mass incarceration is a problem that must be addressed otherwise we become a part of the problem due to inaction,” said Merritt in the panel.[17]

Following the murders of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd in 2020, Merritt made various television appearances alongside the mother of Ahmaud Arbery to call attention to the broad issues of racial bias in policing and American society at large.[18]

Awards and recognition

In 2017, Merritt was #8 on The Root 100, a list honoring the top 10 most influential African Americans in the country ages 18 to 45. In his bio, Merritt is described as an "emerging as a new leader in the fight for racial justice, standing on the front lines of making sure people know that black lives matter."[19]

References
  1. "The Power Issue: S. Lee Merritt Is Taking Black Lives Matter to the Courtroom". Texas Monthly. November 13, 2018.
  2. "Lee Merritt, civil rights attorney on the rise, faces a moment of reckoning". Dallas News. June 2, 2018.
  3. "S. Lee Merritt".
  4. Russ, Valerie. "Philly lawyer and social activist Lee Merritt, one of '100 Most Influential'". inquirer.com.
  5. "About".
  6. Victor, Daniel (October 10, 2017). "Black Man Beaten During Charlottesville Rally Charged With Felony" – via NYTimes.com.
  7. Stack, Liam; Hauser, Christine (May 1, 2017). "Police Account Changes in Killing of Texas 15-Year-Old" – via NYTimes.com.
  8. "15-year-old's brothers watched him die after Balch Springs police shooting, family says". Dallas News. May 2, 2017.
  9. Flynn, Meagan (July 31, 2017). "Charges Dropped Against Black Harris County Student Questioned by Cop While Mowing Lawns". Houston Press.
  10. "Both sides defend themselves in controversial arrest of man mowing lawn". khou.com.
  11. "Fort Worth police officer fatally shoots woman in her own home". www.cbsnews.com.
  12. "Atatiana Jefferson pointed gun at window before Fort Worth officer killed her, nephew told authorities". Dallas News. October 15, 2019.
  13. Angela Barajas; Martin Savidge. "Ahmaud Arbery killing being investigated as federal hate crime, family attorney says". CNN.
  14. Steve Almasy; Angela Barajas. "Two men involved in fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery face murder charges, GBI says". CNN.
  15. "A Plan to Take the George Floyd Case to the U.N. Highlights a Decades-Old Tension Between Civil Rights and Human Rights". Time.
  16. Dowd, Trone (May 29, 2020). "Lawyers for George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor Want the UN to Look Into Their Cases".
  17. "NBCSL | National Black Caucus of State Legislators Hold 41st Annual Conference in Indianapolis". nbcsl.org.
  18. Jessie Yeung; Steve George; Laura Smith-Spark; Peter Wilkinson; Melissa Macaya; Meg Wagner; Mike Hayes; Fernando Alfonso III (June 4, 2020). "June 4 George Floyd protest news". CNN.
  19. "The Root 100 - The Most Influential African Americans In 2017". The Root.
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