PROFESSIONAL

Tyler Foster is a law student, nonprofit leader, and formerly incarcerated advocate committed to transformative justice. A former “jailhouse lawyer,” Tyler began studying law while incarcerated to fight for his own dignity and the rights of others. Today, he attends the University of Memphis School of Law on a full-tuition scholarship, where he is a Humphreys Law Fellow and president of the Transformative Justice Initiative. He also serves as vice president of the Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope (MICAH) and as a board member of the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network. Tyler’s work is rooted in lived experience, legal empowerment, and a commitment to collective liberation.

EDUCATION

  • U.S. Customs House Scholarship (full-tuition) and Humphreys Law Fellow

  • Top-ranked student

  • CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Legal Methods I and Torts II

  • Memphis Law Review Excellence in Legal Writing Award (Spring 2025)

  • Dean’s Award for Best Memorandum (Fall 2024)

  • Co-Founder and President of the Transformative Justice Initiative (TJI)

J.D. Candidate, May 2027 (expected)

University of Memphis – Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law

  • Dean’s Scholarship recipient

  • Member of the Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Kappa honor societies

  • Capstone: Intersections of Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Crime

Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology, summa cum laude, May 2023

University of Memphis

Tyler Foster Memphis

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

MacArthur Justice Center, St. Louis, MO

Summer Law Clerk, June 2025 - August 2025

Law Office of the Shelby County Public Defender, Memphis, TN

Legal Intern, Adult Trial Division, May 2024 – August 2024

Stevie Phillips Law, PLLC, Chattanooga, TN

Criminal Defense Paralegal/Investigator, January 2022 – May 2024

Federal Defender Services of East Tennessee, Inc., Chattanooga, TN

Legal Intern, January 2024 – May 2024

Hamilton County (TN) Public Defender’s Office, Chattanooga, TN

Investigative Intern, Felony Trial Team, January 2023 – May 2023

Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Chattanooga, TN

Legal Intern, January 2022 – May 2022

WHAT I BRING TO THE TABLE

Expertise & Specializations

  • Transformative and abolitionist legal advocacy

  • Criminal legal reform and decarceration strategy

  • Grassroots organizing and coalition-building

  • Legal research, writing, and litigation support

  • Strategic storytelling and public education

  • Nonprofit leadership and systems-change strategy

  • Legal empowerment for directly impacted individuals and communities