Reggie Shuford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Reginald Shuford
Education	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill BA University of North Carolina School of Law JD
Occupation	Executive Director
Organization	North Carolina Justice Center

Reginald "Reggie" T. Shuford is a lawyer from North Carolina. He is the executive director of the North Carolina Justice Center. This organization works to make things fairer for people.

Reggie's Early Life and School

Reggie Shuford grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina. He was one of five children. He lived in public housing. Reggie was a great student at New Hanover High School. He earned a scholarship to attend Cape Fear Academy. In 1984, he was the first black student to graduate from that school. Reggie faced some tough times growing up. He felt caught between different groups. He has said that these experiences made him want to become a lawyer. He wanted to fight for justice.

College and Law School

After high school, Reggie went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He then studied law at the University of North Carolina School of Law. He earned his law degree there. He was even the president of his law class.

Reggie's Career as a Lawyer

Throughout his career, Reggie Shuford has focused on social justice and civil rights. This means he works to make sure everyone is treated fairly.

Starting His Legal Journey

After law school, Reggie worked for Henry Frye. Justice Frye was the first black chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Reggie has said that Justice Frye was a great role model for him. He helped Reggie become a better writer.

Working for the ACLU

From 1995 to 2010, Reggie was a staff attorney for the ACLU. He worked in their racial justice program. The ACLU is an organization that protects people's rights. One important case Reggie worked on was Green v. TSA in 2004. He represented the ACLU in this case. It challenged a government list called the No Fly List.

Leading the Pennsylvania ACLU

In 2011, Reggie became the executive director of the Pennsylvania ACLU. He led many important efforts there. In 2013, he helped a transgender student in a Philadelphia high school. The student was being forced to use a name they did not identify with. Reggie worked to protect the student's rights. Reggie also oversaw the Pennsylvania ACLU's work against a law about voter ID. He also worked against a ban on same-sex marriage. Both of these laws were later changed. He also worked on issues related to how police interact with people. This included a program called the New Jersey Safe Stop program. In 2019, Reggie was involved in a lawsuit. This lawsuit challenged the bail system in Pennsylvania.

Back to North Carolina

In 2023, Reggie Shuford was named the executive director of the North Carolina Justice Center. This organization is based in Raleigh. It works to improve policies and advocate for people.

Awards and Recognition

Reggie Shuford has received awards for his work. In 2016, he received the Living Legal Legend Award. This award recognizes people who fight for justice and diversity. It was given to him by law student groups at Pennsylvania State University. From 2009 to 2010, Reggie was a Wasserstein Fellow at Harvard Law School. This is a special program for people working in public interest law.

Selected Writings

• Why Affirmative Action Remains Essential in the Age of Obama