Benjamin L. Crump _
Tallahassee, Florida
Benjamin Crump represents clients in some of the most important and contentious cases of our time, taking a place in legal history with his pursuit of justice. His role in the Trayvon Martin, Martin Lee Anderson Boot Camp, Jannie Ligons (State of Oklahoma vs. Daniel Holtzclaw) and Robbie Tolan cases shows a legacy built around the idea that the Constitution applies to everyone, at every level of society.
Mr. Crump’s passion for advocacy has given him the privilege to fight for justice on behalf of the marginalized in our country, a calling to which he remains dedicated.
Mr. Crump has broken barriers in several legal organizations, serving as the first African-American President of the Federal Bar Association for the Northern District of Florida and the first African-American Chairman of the Florida State University College of Law Board of Directors. He is a member of the American Bar Association, American Association for Justice, The Florida Justice Association, and many other groups dedicated to the law and the pursuit of justice.
Mr. Crump is a frequent speaker and author, having been featured in documentaries like NPR’s “How Lawyer Got Nation Talking About Trayvon Martin,” and BET’s “I Am Trayvon Martin: A Family’s Fight for Justice.” Mr. Crump is also a frequent contributor to Time magazine, discussing many of the civil rights and criminal justice issues African-Americans face today. Mr. Crump will also appear on a television show called “Evidence of Innocence,” which will feature stories about individuals who were wrongfully imprisoned.
He’s received significant recognition for his service in pursuit of civil rights and justice for minorities, being included on prestigious lists like The National Trial Lawyers’ Top 100 Lawyers and Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 Most Influential African Americans. He has also received the National Urban League’s Whitney Young Award, AKA’s Eleanor Roosevelt Award, the NAACP Thurgood Marshall Award, and the SCLC’s Martin Luther King Servant Leader Award.
Mr. Crump is heavily involved in his community, having previously endowed scholarships to Florida A&M University, Livingston College, Florida State University, and Bethune Cookman University for minority law students. He also serves as the president and co-founder of MyDad360, a mentoring program for fathers endorsed by Colin Powell and recognized by President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative. He is a Life Member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the NAACP, and the Urban League.
He previously served as the inaugural Board Chairman of Florida’s Big Bend Fair Housing Center, and also served as General Counsel to the Florida State Conference of the NAACP and sat on the boards of the Innocence Project and the Equal Justice Institute.
Mr. Crump was born and raised in Lumberton, North Carolina, and is the oldest of nine siblings and step-siblings. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Florida State University. He is a congregation member and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. He is married to Dr. Genae Angelique Crump, is the proud father of Brooklyn Zeta Crump, and the guardian of two adopted cousins, Marcus and Chancellor.
