Tyler Foster is a law student, advocate, and former “jailhouse lawyer” whose lived experience in the criminal legal system fuels his commitment to justice. From leading legal empowerment workshops while incarcerated to coalition-building with national and local reform groups, he brings both firsthand insight and strategic skill to the fight for equity, dignity, and systemic change.
Now at the University of Memphis School of Law, he’s preparing to litigate on behalf of directly impacted communities, always with the goal of making sure no voice goes unheard.
In 2-3 sentences, tell me what you want the world to know about Tyler Foster.
I’ve been through the criminal legal system, and I carry that experience with me every day. It shows up in how I think, how I organize, and how I advocate. It’s not just part of my past; it’s the reason I do this work.
I am a big supporter of “jailhouse lawyers,” though I lament that most people don’t understand the law or their rights until it’s too late and they’re involved in the system. What inspired you to focus on criminal legal reform, and did your time as a “jailhouse lawyer” shape that decision?
Absolutely! My time as a jailhouse lawyer sparked my commitment to criminal legal reform. I was first incarcerated at 19, and like so many others, I didn’t fully understand my rights or the legal system until I was already caught up in it. Once inside, I began studying the law, helping others with their cases, and leading legal empowerment workshops. That experience showed me how transformative access to knowledge can be.
It also taught me that legal empowerment is a form of resistance – a way to reclaim agency, build solidarity, and plant the seeds for systemic change.
I knew then that I wanted to spend my life working toward a type of justice rooted in equity, dignity, and communal well-being.
How has your time at the University of Memphis influenced or shifted your goals as a law student?
The University of Memphis is deeply connected to the Memphis community, and it’s a privilege to do justice-focused work in a city with such a powerful legacy of civil rights activism. That legacy is evident in the organizing, advocacy, and community work happening here every day. My time at Memphis Law has reaffirmed that I made the right decision, both in choosing this law school and in choosing this career path. As a law student (and soon-to-be lawyer), my goal is to continue working alongside directly impacted communities, amplifying their voices in the fight for collective liberation.
In your work with the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network (FICGN) and the Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope (MICAH), what coalition-building challenge are you most proud of overcoming?
In nonprofit and justice-focused spaces, people often come in with strong convictions. While we typically share the same broader goals, we don’t always agree on the most effective strategies to achieve them.
In my work with FICGN and MICAH, I’ve learned how powerful it can be to bring together people from diverse backgrounds with different lived experiences, even when tensions or disagreements arise.
Building trust, finding common ground, and creating space for people to feel heard is hard, intentional work, but when we can move through those differences and still take collective action, it’s incredibly rewarding and affirming.
Looking ahead to life after earning your J.D. in 2027, what kind of legal or policy role do you envision yourself in? Do you see yourself in a nonprofit leadership position, governmental office, or perhaps litigating on behalf of impacted communities?
Looking ahead, my work will likely be focused on litigating on behalf of directly impacted communities. Being system-impacted, I understand how powerful it is to have someone truly advocating for you, someone who makes sure your voice is heard in a system that so often silences and disempowers. As a lawyer, it will always be my goal to uplift the voices of directly impacted people, and I believe I’m uniquely positioned to do so with empathy, urgency, and passion. In addition to my legal work, I plan to continue serving in nonprofit leadership, particularly with organizations committed to criminal legal reform, transformative justice, and reentry.
If your life story were turned into a legal drama, who would play you—and who would play the judge who keeps dramatically sighing every time you quote constitutional law?
I’d go with Chris Evans to play me. Beyond the superhero roles, he’s someone who brings both conviction and compassion to his work, and he has used his platform to speak out on issues like civic engagement, equity, and justice. Those are values that align closely with my own.
As for the judge who sighs every time I quote constitutional law? I’d go with James Woods. I can definitely picture him dramatically sighing while I launch into a passionate monologue about the Fifth and Sixth Amendments.
Reach Out to Tyler:
Website: www.tylerfoster.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tfostermemphis
Instagram: @tfostermemphis
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