Michelle Mapp is ACLU of South Carolina’s Equal Justice Works Law Fellow sponsored by Alston & Bird Racial Justice Fund. Michelle will be advocating for the passage of a Tenant Right to Counsel law in South Carolina.
Michelle was selected as one of 77 public interest lawyers from more than 466 applications to be a fellow with Equal Justice Works, a D.C.-based nonprofit that seeks to promote a lifelong commitment to public service and equal justice. Each year, Equal Justice Works selects a class of public service leaders who have designed projects in partnership with legal services organizations to help build sustainable solutions in the communities they serve. These projects are funded by law firms, corporations, foundations, and individuals.
Michelle previously worked for 13 years at the South Carolina Community Loan Fund (SCCLF) and served as the organization’s CEO for 7 years. SCCLF is a nonprofit, mission-based lender that has facilitated the development of more than $300 million in community development projects throughout South Carolina.
Michelle, a certified Housing Development Finance Professional, has served on the board of directors for the Affordable Housing Coalition of SC, Business Development Corp., E3 (Educate, Empower, and Elevate), Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Charlotte Branch, Frances P. Bunnelle Foundation, SC Association for Community Economic Development, SC Community Capital Alliance, Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative, TogetherSC, and on the SC Rural Action Plan Taskforce. She has served on numerous advisory committees and taskforce at the local, state, and national levels with a focus on housing and community development.
Michelle is a Liberty Fellow and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. A 2012 executive finalist for the Charleston Regional Business Journal’s Influential Women in Business, Michelle has twice been named one of Charleston Magazine’s 50 Most Influential. She is a 2018 recipient of the Charleston County Democrat’s Marjorie Amos-Frazier Pacesetter Award, a 2019 recipient of the Charleston YWCA Joseph P. Riley Vision Award, a 2020 recipient of the National Action Network SC Servant Leader Award, and an inaugural 2020 recipient of the College of Charleston’s Phenomenal Woman Award.
Michelle holds a Juris Doctor cum laude from Charleston School of Law, a Master of Public Administration from the College of Charleston and University of South Carolina, a Master of Engineering Management from George Washington University, and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Analysis with a concentration in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University.
Michelle has been married for 25 years to Marquette Mapp and they have a 20-year-old son, Seth Alexander, an 18-year-old daughter, Jordan Alexis, and a 10-month-old Yorkie, Asher.
Michelle is excited for the opportunity to now combine all that she has learned in the housing and community economic development sectors with a law degree and to continue to work on issues of economic justice in South Carolina.
