Tyler Foster
Tyler Foster’s Biography
From experiencing incarceration firsthand to becoming a leading 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 was incarcerated for several months, enduring solitary confinement and confronting the harsh realities of the criminal legal system.
While incarcerated, Tyler became a “jailhouse lawyer,” spending his days studying the law, assisting others with their cases, and leading legal empowerment workshops. He quickly saw how the criminal legal system punishes poverty, hinders rehabilitation, and erodes dignity. Determined to fight these injustices, Tyler decided to enroll in law school. Today, he attends the University of Memphis School of Law on a full tuition scholarship, where he is ranked at the top of his class and has received multiple academic awards. After graduation, he plans to dedicate his career to criminal legal reform.
Beyond academics, Tyler is a respected leader in the nonprofit field. As a board member of the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network (FICGN), he spearheads efforts to expand education and employment opportunities for system-impacted individuals. As vice president of the Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope (MICAH), he leads initiatives to promote educational equity, economic mobility, and criminal legal reform. He previously served as a board member of Chattanoogans in Action for Love, Equality, and Benevolence (CALEB) and co-chaired its Criminal Justice Task Force, leading grassroots advocacy and coalition-building efforts focused on criminal legal reform.
Tyler is widely recognized for his expertise and has contributed to projects at institutions such as Vanderbilt, NYU, Georgetown, and Harvard. His work has been featured in various Memphis-area news outlets, including Action News 5, WREG, The Daily Memphian, and The Commercial Appeal. Before law school, Tyler worked as a community organizer and criminal defense paralegal/investigator. He also interned with the Shelby County Public Defender’s Office (Memphis, TN), the Federal Defender Services of East Tennessee (Chattanooga, TN), and a federal judge (Memphis, TN).
Tyler 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 Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Kappa honor societies.
Tyler’s journey from incarceration to law school fuels his relentless fight for transformative change. By combining his lived experience and professional expertise, he fights to dismantle oppressive systems, champion transformative reforms, and build a future where justice is rooted in equity, dignity, and liberation.