About Teri

Experience grounded in service.

For more than three decades, Teri Lee Thompson has worked where law, consequence, and human possibility meet. Her legal career has included criminal defense, federal capital litigation, judicial service, and teaching subjects such as criminal law, criminal procedure, and the American court system.

Qualified as Learned Counsel since 2018, she has represented people facing the death penalty in federal courts across the country and in United States territories. Her work has also extended from juvenile proceedings to advocacy for people connected to historic political and social movements.

That experience taught her to listen beyond the case file. Behind every charge is a history, fear, hope, and voice that may not have been heard soon enough. The work sharpened her commitment to advocacy while prompting a larger question: what becomes possible when confidence, support, and opportunity arrive earlier?

Writing became another form of that advocacy. Through Zella Publishing and her books, Teri creates stories that celebrate culture, strengthen self-esteem, and give children—especially Black children and girls—room to recognize themselves as worthy, capable, and powerful.

Her work now extends from the courtroom to the classroom and community. As an author, educator, mentor, and founder, she continues to create tools and spaces that help people embrace identity, use their voice, and lead with purpose.