From experiencing incarceration firsthand to becoming an advocate for criminal legal reform, Tyler Foster’s journey is one of resilience, transformation, and an unwavering commitment to justice. Raised by a single mother, he faced childhood poverty and witnessed the devastating impact of incarceration on those around him. As a young adult, he spent several months incarcerated. During this time, he became a “jailhouse lawyer,” assisting others with their cases and leading legal empowerment workshops. This experience sparked his commitment to criminal legal reform.
Tyler now attends the University of Memphis School of Law on a full-tuition scholarship, where he is a Humphreys Law Fellow, an editor on the Law Review, and a co-founder of the Transformative Justice Initiative. He has interned with the MacArthur Justice Center, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Law Office of the Shelby County Public Defender, and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia.
Tyler is also actively involved in social justice work. He serves on the boards of the Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope, the National Association for Public Defense, the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network, and the Health Justice Initiative. As asecond-year law student, he brought a successful public records lawsuit against the City of Memphis, securing the release of thousands of pages of police disciplinary records and injunctive relief requiring the City to change its public records policies.
Before law school, Tyler worked as a community organizer and as a criminal defenseparalegal/investigator. He earned his B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Memphis, graduating two years early. He was awarded the Dean’s Scholarship and inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Kappa honor societies.
Tyler’s journey from incarceration to law school informs his commitment to criminal legal reform. By combining his lived experience and professional expertise, Tyler seeks to advance a system of justice rooted in equity, dignity, and collective liberation.
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