Suzette M. Malveaux facts for kids

Suzette M. Malveaux (born December 4, 1966) is an American law professor and civil rights lawyer. She teaches about laws that protect people's rights. She also helps people who have been treated unfairly. Currently, she is a professor at the University of Colorado Law School. She also leads a center there that studies American law.

Suzette Malveaux is known across the country for her knowledge of civil rights law. She is also an expert in "class action" lawsuits. These are cases where many people who have been harmed in a similar way join together to sue. She has even presented cases to the highest court in the U.S., the U.S. Supreme Court. She also argued a case in a lower court called the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

About Suzette Malveaux

Suzette Malveaux was born in Lansing, Michigan. Her family has roots in Louisiana Creole culture. She also identifies as African-American. Her father, Floyd J. Malveaux, was a leader at Howard University. He was also involved in important health research. Her mother, Myrna Ruiz Malveaux, taught young children. Suzette has a twin sister, CNN Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.

Education and Early Career

Suzette Malveaux went to Harvard University and graduated with high honors in 1988. She then went to NYU Law School. There, she earned special scholarships and was part of the Law Review team. This is a group of students who edit legal articles. After law school, she worked for a judge named Robert L. Carter. This job is called a "clerkship."

Her Work as a Lawyer

Malveaux started her career helping people with their legal problems. She worked at a group called the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. Later, she worked at a law firm called Cohen Milstein.

As a lawyer, she focused on "class action" lawsuits. In these cases, she represented people who were suing large groups or companies. She worked on some very important cases. One was against Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes. This was a huge case about unfair treatment in jobs. She also worked on a case for victims of the Tulsa race riot of 1921. This riot caused a lot of harm to a Black community in Oklahoma.

Teaching Law

In 2003, Malveaux began teaching law at the University of Alabama School of Law. She later taught at the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America. In 2018, she joined the University of Colorado Law School. There, she teaches about civil rights law. She also directs a center that studies American law.

Suzette Malveaux often shares her legal knowledge with the public. She appears on news channels like CNN and MSNBC. She also gives interviews to major newspapers like The New York Times. She helps people understand important legal issues.