Bryan Stevenson Net Worth $5 Million

What is Bryan Stevenson’s net worth?

Bryan Stevenson has a net worth of $5 million. He is an American lawyer, law professor, and activist well known for founding and leading the EJI.

Currently teaching as a law professor at the New York University School of Law, Stevenson’s life has been headlined by Supreme Court cases and law activism.

Leading a very public life, much is known about Stevenson, from his childhood to his current position as a Doctor of Law.

Stevenson appeared in the spotlight with his landmark post-conviction appeal of Walter McMillian, who he managed to acquit from prison within a few years.

Stevenson continued with his vocal outreach and petitioning following this very public event, eventually moving his way into multiple Supreme Court cases.

Let’s take a look at the history of Bryan Stevenson, the man who’s served as the founder of EJI, a political activist, and a law professor.

The Origin Story

Bryan Stevenson was born November 14^th, 1959, in Milton, Delaware.

His father had grown up in the small town, while his mother had moved from Philadelphia to Milton during the Great Migration.

From a young age, his parents emphasized the importance of education in their lives, an idea that Stevenson has carried to today.

As a child, Stevenson attended the Prospect African Methodist Episcopal Church, where he learned the importance of “standing up after having fallen down.”

This message was quickly carried home after Stevenson’s grandfather was m###ered during a robbery.

Alongside Stevenson being segregated as a child, he gained a goal to fix the wrongs that plagued him.

Following this incident, Stevenson attended Cape Henlopen High School, where he graduated in 1978.

As part of his tenure at the school, Stevenson pushed his skills, eventually serving as president of the student body and winning American Legion public speaking contests before attending Eastern University.

Stevenson graduated from Pennsylvania’s Eastern University in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, before earning a Master of Arts in Public Policy from the JFK School of Government at Harvard University and a JD from Harvard in 1985.

Career

Southern Center for Human Rights

As part of his schooltime at the Harvard Law School, Stevenson worked for the Southern Center for Human Rights, which focused on representing Southern inmates.

Stevenson has been quoted saying that his working at the Southern Center had inspired him to spend the rest of his life serving others.

After his graduation, he even moved to Atlanta, the center’s HQ, to work full-time.

EJI

However, the US Congress eliminated funding to the center in the 90s, leading Stevenson to found the EJI, dedicated to helping everyone who can’t represent themselves equally.

One of his first cases ever was his appeal of Walter McMillan, which was significantly publicized and even received a movie named “Just Mercy.”

After disproving “every aspect of the prosecution’s initial case,” Stevenson managed to exonerate McMillan, earning the EJI immediate public credit.

McMillan also served as Stevenson’s first Supreme Court case, which in 1996 was labeled “McMillan v. Monroe County, Alabama.”

The EJI and Stevenson’s career quickly picked up, though, with the 2003 Supreme Court case “Nelson v. Campbell,” which he ended up winning.

In 2009, Stevenson argued “Sullivan v. Florida,” which was his only Supreme Court loss, dismissed as improvidently granted. However, that was before the 5-4 win with “Miller v. Alabama” in 2011.

The ruling in “Miller v. Alabama” led to the decision that life without parole is illegal against juvenile offenders.

This case was significant for Stevenson and the EJI, as it went against a previously unturned ruling that the same punishments were legal.

Stevenson’s “Miller v. Alabama” win led to a retroactive change in sentences that potentially affected upwards of 2,300 people nationwide across 29 states.

The same unique ruling applied to Stevenson’s 2018 “Madison v. Alabama,” a 5-3 decision, ruled that a mentally incapacitated prisoner can’t be executed for a crime they don’t rationally understand.

In total, EJI and Stevenson are said to have saved 125 men from execution by August 2016.

Not long after, Stevenson stopped practicing law, focusing on his writing, public speaking, and teaching careers.

NYU Law

Stevenson began his tenure at New York University’s Law School in 1998, although he’s much more active with the university today.

That year, Stevenson joined as a clinical faculty member, gradually moving into a teacher’s position.

Today, Stevenson works for multiple classes, offering courses ranging from justice and defender clinics to studies on the eighth amendment and its litigation.

His career as a teacher began in 2002.

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Writing

“Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption,” Stevenson’s 2014 book, was one of his greatest spotlight moments.

Just Mercy became critically and commercially successful within a few years, even being picked by Time and The New York Times as one of the most notable books of that year.

In 2015, the book won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction alongside the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.

The movie Just Mercy is an adaptation of the book, which was released to theaters in 2019.

While Stevenson no longer writes, his book still sells incredibly well, likely making him a decent income in the meanwhile.

Awarded National Humanities Medal

In 2023, he received the National Humanities Medal at the White House.

Wife/Girlfriend

Bryan Stevenson is not married. According to Stevenson, a lifelong bachelor, his line of work doesn’t compute with having a family. As such, Stevenson has no interest in getting married or fathering any children, at least anytime soon.

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Net Worth

So, how much is Bryan Stevenson worth? Most of Stevenson’s wealth is attributed to his founding of EJI and its very high-profile cases. Therefore, Bryan Stevenson has an estimated net worth of $5 million. 

Additionally, Stevenson has likely made a significant income from his high-selling book “Just Mercy.”

The same book probably brings him royalties from the movie “Just Mercy,” which grossed $50 million globally.

His multiple ventures as a New York University Law Professor, founder of EJI, writer, and activist have made him at least several million.

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