Biography

Professor Erica F. Byrd teaches legal writing and lawyering skills at the William S. Richardson School of Law. Her teaching focuses on helping students develop strong analytical, research, and writing skills while encouraging them to find their own voices and think intentionally about their professional identities and the lawyers they hope to become.

Before joining the Richardson faculty, Professor Byrd spent seven years on the faculty at Georgia State University College of Law, where she taught Lawyering: Foundations I & II, the law school’s year-long first-year legal writing course. She also developed and directed WomenLead in Law, a leadership and professional development program designed to help law students cultivate their leadership identities and prepare to lead effectively and authentically within the legal profession. Her teaching experience extends beyond the law school classroom; she was invited to develop and teach Gender and the Law courses at Agnes Scott College and has served as a guest lecturer in courses across a range of subjects.

In 2025, Professor Byrd received Georgia State University College of Law’s Maleski Award for Teaching Excellence. The 2026 graduating class selected her to serve as a faculty hooder at the GSU College of Law commencement. She was also chosen to participate in GSU’s Leadership Academy for Women Faculty, a highly selective, cohort-based program recognizing and developing women faculty leaders.

Professor Byrd’s scholarship focuses on legal writing pedagogy, professional identity formation, and the changing nature of legal education and practice. Her recent work examines the integration of generative artificial intelligence into legal writing pedagogy and the role of legal education in preparing students to use emerging technologies thoughtfully and responsibly. Her current research explores how lawyers navigate tensions between effective advocacy, including the rhetorical and narrative choices they make, and professional and ethical commitments, as well as how legal education shapes lawyers’ understanding of their professional roles when those values come into conflict.

Before entering academia, Professor Byrd practiced law in Atlanta, Georgia, focusing on family law and civil defense litigation. Her practice included trial and appellate advocacy in Georgia courts, including work resulting in published appellate decisions. During her time in practice, she was repeatedly recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star. She brings her practice experience into the classroom through an emphasis on the relationship between careful legal analysis, effective written advocacy, professional judgment, and the responsibilities lawyers owe to their clients and communities.

Professor Byrd earned her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Georgia School of Law, where she served as a Notes Editor of the Georgia Law Review. She earned her B.A., magna cum laude, in Women’s Studies from Agnes Scott College, with a minor in German Studies.