Politics
Sherrilyn Ifill becomes Head of NAACP Legal Defense Fund
University of Maryland law professor Sherrilyn Ifill (pictured), will assume the helm of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in January 2013, the organization announced November 19.
Ms. Ifill is a law professor, and a respected civil rights litigator who has specialized in voting rights and political participation. She has also made regular television and radio appearances to discuss politics, not much unlike her older cousin PBS correspondent Gwen Ifill.
According to its website, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which was founded by Thurgood Marshall in 1940, seeks to “expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans.”
Ifill is not new to the organization, having served as assistant counsel in its New York office early in her career. During her time there, she worked on the landmark Voting Rights Act case Houston Lawyers’ Association vs. Attorney General of Texas.
