Shifting the Paradigm: Lawyer Courtney Teasley on Proactive Advocacy and Empowering Marginalised Communities
- Admin
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
Courtney Teasley joined host Sarah Henry on the Activist Lawyer podcast to discuss her distinctive career that blends legal expertise with activism. Throughout the conversation, Courtney shared her passion for empowering marginalised communities, providing them with the tools to understand their rights. Additionally, she mentors lawyers from all disciplines, helping them build confidence and develop their professional brand. The conversation also looks at Courtney's advocacy for the DAMM - the Disproportionately Affected Marginalised Minority communities in America.
Having grown up in a DAMM community herself, Courtney has witnessed systemic injustices firsthand. From a young age, she saw how her own mother was treated within the criminal justice system, a painful experience that ignited her drive to learn the law. This sparked her mission to ensure communities are not only informed about their rights but are also equipped to challenge the injustices they face. Courtney highlights that Black Americans are six times more likely to be incarcerated, and those from marginalised communities often lack access to adequate legal advice or representation. These are some of the reasons Courtney chose to become a coach and mentor for lawyers. Her goal, as she puts it, is “to disrupt oppressive systems and uplift those often silenced.” This mission is at the heart of how she believes all lawyers should approach their work; with vigour, confidence, and a commitment to the communities they serve.
For Courtney, disruption isn’t just about challenging the status quo within the courtroom. It’s also about lawyers confidently promoting their work and success, making their services known to the communities that need them most. “Lawyers have to disrupt in order to see the ‘bigger goal,’” she says.
Courtney views herself primarily as an educator. She has created handbooks, publications, and courses designed to improve legal literacy across the U.S. She begins by asking people a simple question: "What are your rights as citizens?" The answer, more often than not, is a lack of knowledge. Legal literacy, something not typically taught in school, is crucial, Courtney believes, because many people are unfamiliar with what goes on inside a courtroom. Her mission is to make sure that justice starts long before a trial. By empowering people with knowledge, she aims to equip them to act, speak up, and disrupt oppressive systems. According to Courtney, advocacy shouldn't be confined to a law office - it should extend into grassroots activism, with lawyers engaging in issues that directly affect the communities they represent.
When it comes to the marginalisation of lawyers in the U.S., Courtney has seen it firsthand. "The lawyers who do this work and the lawyers who truly fight have been demonised," she observes. This is a sentiment that comes up often on the podcast, especially in light of the Trump administration's attempts to undermine the rule of law and attack the legal profession.
Why, then, focus on lawyers? Courtney explains, “Lawyers have the most power, if they choose to use it. To me, that’s evidence of why you need to lean into private practice, why you have to lean deeper into our communities.” For Courtney, organization is key and not just for equality and justice, but for the empowerment of marginalised communities.
About Courtney
Courtney Teasley, Esq. Criminal Defense Attorney | Advocacy Strategist | Founder of emeffen™ Courtney Teasley is a nationally recognized criminal defense attorney, business coach, and visionary educator shifting the paradigm on how we fight systemic injustice. As the founder of emeffen™ and creator of the MFN Framework for Proactive Advocacy, Courtney leads a movement to empower disproportionately affected, marginalized minorities (D.A.M.M.) with the legal knowledge and strategy to prevent convictions—before the courtroom ever comes into view.
Her impact spans grassroots campaigns, justice-focused curriculum development, and legal education for both community members and lawyers. Through her Easy Way to Learn Your Rights book series, school-based criminal justice literacy programs, and D.A.M.M. Advocate and Legal Warrior trainings, Courtney equips everyday people, educators, and defense attorneys to proactively resist the criminal justice system’s most insidious traps.
Links to Courtney’s work:
YouTube: @blacklawgirl
Book Series: The Easy Way to Learn Your Rights
