AfroTech Conference 2026
Lee Merritt
National Civil Rights Attorney & Community Organizer for Landmark Cases | Adjunct Professor at Harvard | Forbes Power 100 Attorney | Congressional Black Caucus Nation Builder | Top 10 Influential Leader |, Merritt Law
Track Future of Work
Biography
S. Lee Merritt is a nationally recognized civil rights attorney and Movement Lawyer who represents families in landmark cases including the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Botham Jean, and Atatiana Jefferson. Based in Texas with a federal practice rooted in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, he uses Section 1983 litigation, qualified immunity challenges, and federal oversight to hold institutions accountable when local systems fail. Merritt has used platforms before Congress and international bodies to testify on policing and human rights, extending the impact of his cases beyond individual verdicts.
Sessions
Protect Your Power in the Workplace with Lee Merritt
Wed, Nov 4, 3:15 PM – 3:55 PM CT
Track Future of Work
Lee Merritt has won some of the most consequential civil rights cases in recent American history: Ahmaud Arbery, Botham Jean, Atatiana Jefferson. What he has learned inside those cases is that legal knowledge is one of the most underused tools Black professionals have. This conversation translates federal civil rights law into something you can use in the workplace: how to document, how to build leverage, and how to protect your position in any professional environment.