BLSA Presents “Trailblazers in Justice” Panel
On Tuesday, March 18, the University of Virginia School of Law’s chapter of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and the Decarceration and Community Reentry Clinic hosted an event titled “Trailblazers in Justice.” The panel featured three UVA Law graduates, Micheal Allen ’82, Maria Smith ’83, and Terrica Redfield Ganzy ’02, who currently practice civil rights law in various areas across the country.
BLSA Social Action Chair, Rachel St. Louis ’26, said she wanted to host an event such as this because she felt as if public service students do not have the same opportunities as Big Law-focused students.
“I organized the Trailblazers in Justice panel because I wanted to highlight alumni who are leading the change in public services,” St. Louis said. “Given that BLSA already puts together the Winter and Spring Firm Diversity Reception for students to interact with diverse attorneys from Big Law firms, I wanted to provide a similar opportunity for students interested in public service and civil rights advocacy.”
Micheal Allen ’82 currently serves as a partner at civil rights law firm Relman Colfax located in Washington, D.C. Allen has worked at the firm since 2006, and his primary practice at the firm is Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act litigation. Prior to working at Relman Colfax, Allen served as a senior staff attorney at the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law located in Washington, D.C., and as a staff attorney for Legal Services of Northern Virginia. Allen is also a founding member and serves on the Board of Directors for Pathways to Housing in Washington, D.C.
Maria Smith ’83 currently serves as a supervising attorney with the Housing Group of the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland located in Cleveland, Ohio. Smith has worked for the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland for around thirty years and specializes in eviction prevention. In recognition of her work at the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Smith has received numerous awards including the 2024 recipient of the C. Lyonel Jones Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2015 recipient of Lutheran Hospital’s Community Service Award.
Terrica Redfield Ganzy ’02 currently serves as the Executive Director of the Southern Center for Human Rights located in Atlanta, Georgia. Ganzy specializes in human rights law at the Southern Center and has been on staff at the Center since 2004. Ganzy also serves as the Vice President of the Center for Death Penalty Litigation’s Board of Directors, a member of the State Bar of Georgia’s Professionalism Committee and the State Bar’s Seeking Equal Justice and Addressing Racism and Racial Bias Committee. Previously, Ganzy has served as President of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA).
