JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Attorney Bill Sheppard was known for using the U.S. Constitution to fight civil rights injustices in Jacksonville and in Florida for nearly 50 years.
Sheppard’s was the first integrated law firm in Florida in the 70s. The firm handled cases of oppression and racial discrimination. Sheppard partnered with Henry Lee Adams Jr., who later became the first Black judge on the 4th Judicial Circuit and the first Black federal judge in the Middle District of Florida.
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According to Sheppard’s law firm’s website, Mr. Sheppard has litigated Florida’s landmark statewide jail and prison conditions case on behalf of inmates in the county, municipal jails and state prisons in the State of Florida, producing substantial improvements to the provision of adequate care for those in custody. He has also established himself as a distinguished criminal defense lawyer, having litigated countless constitutional issues on behalf of his criminally accused clients. From issues relating to the Fourth Amendment to questions litigated under the Fourteenth Amendment.
Sheppard died Saturday at the age of 80.