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Jeff Loperfido

Senior Counsel, Voting Rights
jeffloperfido@scsj.org

Jeff Loperfido serves as Senior Counsel with SCSJ’s Voting Rights group. His practice focuses on litigation and policy advocacy that ensures the fair and full participation of all voters.

Jeff graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in Business Administration and a B.A. in Economics, and earned his J.D. cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Following law school, he served as a law clerk to the Hon. Norma L. Shapiro, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and then worked in private practice for five years at the New York City law firm Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP. In 2015, he shifted his practice to government work, serving as senior counsel in the Special Federal Litigation Division of the New York City Law Department. Jeff returned to North Carolina in 2017 committed to dedicating his future professional efforts to social justice causes and is excited to have found that opportunity at SCSJ.

Southern Coalition for Social Justice

Southern Coalition for Social Justice

Partnering with communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities in the south to defend and advance their political, social and economic rights through the combination of legal advocacy, research, organizing and communications.

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Johnson & Smoot v. Jessup

Focus Area: Criminal JusticeFiled in: North Carolina
Last Updated: Mar 6, 2019Case Status: Pending

The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) revoked the licenses of hundreds of thousands of people simply because they cannot afford to pay traffic fines and court costs. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of North Carolina, and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice sued to end the practice, which funnels low-income people further into poverty, in violation of their due process and equal protection rights under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The North Carolinians impacted by this punitive scheme were stripped of their ability to support themselves and their families, as drivers’ licenses are crucial to securing and maintaining employment, driving children to school, and obtaining basic needs. The federal lawsuit challenges the DMV’s automatic revocation of driver’s licenses without providing proper notice and hearings to ensure that people who cannot afford fines and costs will not lose their license.

Related Files & Resources

Complaint - Johnson & Smoot v. Jessup – Filed 05/30/2018

Related Media

Civil Rights Groups Sue North Carolina DMV For Revoking Driver’s Licenses of People Who Cannot Pay Traffic Tickets (05/30/2018)

Key Contact

Jeff Loperfido, Senior Counsel, Voting Rights
jeffloperfido@scsj.org

Last Updated: March 6, 2019

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The right of all citizens to vote free from discrimination is at the heart of America’s vibrant democracy. In #BrnovichvDNC, #SCOTUS should affirm that there’s no place for racism in our elections by striking down Arizona’s racially discriminatory voting laws. #ProtectOurVote pic.twitter.com/s384…

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REMINDER: This event is TOMORROW! Don't miss out - register today! twitter.com/scsj/sta…

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