Who is Sherrilyn Ifill? Blake lively thanks civil rights lawyer for foreword explaining Times influential list honor

Sherrilyn Ifill, a civil rights lawyer and the former President and the Director-Counsel Of NAACP Legal and Educational Fund, wrote a foreword praising Blake Lively, explaining why she made it to the TIME List of "Top 100 Most Influential People of 2025."

The Gossip Girl actresss, on the other hand, thanked the activist for her kind words that explained why she was chosen to be on TIME's list of influential people. Lively, who is currently in the middle of a legal drama with her former co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, shared a post on Instagram with her picture for the TIME "Most Influencial List". The actress showed appreciation for Sherrilyn Ifill—who notably delivered the 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. lecture—acknowledging her kind words. She said:

"[Sherrilyn Ifill] has shaped my heart and also my stamina to never stop believing in a future that’s better and safer for everyone.”

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More about Sherrilyn Ifill, as she show her support for Blake Lively, as actress is listed on the TIME List of most influential people

Sherrilyn Ifill, who is the recipient of Spirit of Excellence Award presented by the American Bar Association, praised Blake Lively for her contributions, stating that she does not know about the actress who walks the red carpet, but rather knows her as a passionate philanthropist. In the statement written for Time Magazine, the "2020 Attorney of the Year" awardee said:

“I don’t know the Blake Lively of the red carpet. Or the Met Gala. I never watched Gossip Girl. The Blake Lively I know is a philanthropist and a student of our country’s most intractable problems.

Ifill, who was a recipient of the Thurgood Marshall Award in 2022, continued:

"I had been getting a few of these calls, as our work fighting against voter suppression and police brutality was receiving national attention. I’m always curious about the kind of research famous people do before they make that cold call to offer their support.”

Sherrilyn Ifill further added that Lively is committed to working passionately for various causes, highlighting that she and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, had previously made a donation of $2million to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in 2019. She added:

“The ones I have remained in relationship with are those who, like Blake, really did their homework. I admired immediately her curiosity, and her sincere work to understand the conditions that shape this country.”

According to American Bar Association, Sherrilyn Ifill joined the Legal Defense and National Fund in 1988, where she spoke relentlessly on the importance of voting rights. Ifill later joined the University of Maryland School of Law as a professor. She has authored several books over her long and illustruous career, and from 2013 to 2022, she served as the Director Counsel for the LDF. In the foreward written on Blake Lively, Ifill writes:

"Her commitment to filling those gaps—and becoming the most fully informed and prepared citizen—is what I appreciate most about her. Blake is a serious person. She’s a risk taker. And she’s committed to moving this country forward. For her children. And for mine.”

In her Instagram post, Blake Lively also thanked Sherrilyn Ifill and TIME Magazine for this honor, something that has been a dream of hers since she was ten years old. Since last month, Blake Lively has been trying to get the lawsuit filed by Justin Baldoni dismissed by the judge. The case it set to go on trial in May 2026.

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