In exchange for a full law school scholarship and professional development, scholars commit to devoting the first 10 years of their careers to practicing civil rights law in service to Black communities in the South. The program is named in honor of Supreme Court Justice, legendary civil rights attorney and LDF founder Thurgood Marshall, and iconic civil rights litigator, former LDF attorney, and the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge, Constance Baker Motley.

“I couldn’t be prouder to celebrate and welcome 10 more extraordinary Marshall-Motley Scholars to the LDF family. Their unwavering dedication to advancing civil rights, rooted in their diverse experiences and profound community engagement, truly exemplifies the legacies of Thurgood Marshall and Constance Baker Motley and the transformative impact our program seeks to cultivate,” said LDF President and Director-Counsel Janai S. Nelson. “These scholars will stand as beacons of justice in the South, and I look forward to witnessing their growth, advocacy, and contributions to reshaping racial equity through the legal profession.”

Miracle Bird is Missouri-born and raised and is deeply committed to the people of Southeast Missouri. Bird graduated Summa Cum Laude with Honors from SEMO, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a double minor in Spanish and writing. This spring, she graduated with a Master of Public Administration, also from SEMO.

Her experiences growing up in Southeast Missouri has informed her commitment to racial justice and Black communities. Miracle’s commitment to advocacy stems from the time she spent as a child at the homeless shelter her father owned. This commitment deepened through legal internship opportunities, as well as federal justice fellowships with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. Bird further demonstrated her commitment to racial justice through her work as Southeast Missouri Coordinator for Renew Missouri, where she actively worked to bring sustainable and affordable energy options to Black communities and recruit Black citizens to serve on rural electric cooperative boards.

Her determination in the classroom and beyond has earned her multiple awards, including the Dr. William F. Ansberry Pre-Law Award for outstanding academic achievement in the Pre-Law section of the Political Science Department, and the Copper Dome Scholarship. She served on the All-University Judicial Board and College of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean’s Student Advisory Council, and was vice president of the Law, Politics, & Society Club.

The 2024 cohort of Marshall-Motley Scholars features a host of deeply dedicated individuals, combining a wealth of diverse backgrounds with impressive professional experiences.

Over the past four years, LDF’s MMSP has invested in the education and training of aspiring civil rights attorneys to advocate on behalf of Black communities in the South seeking racial justice and equity. In addition to a full scholarship for law school scholars are afforded summer internships with national and regional civil rights organizations with offices in the South focused on racial justice to jumpstart training in civil rights law; a two-year postgraduate fellowship focused on a racial justice practice in the South; and access to special training sponsored by LDF.

Launched in January 2021, LDF’s groundbreaking pipeline program will endow the South with the next generation of civil rights lawyers trained to provide legal advocacy of unparalleled excellence in pursuit of racial justice.