Tom Henderson loved his cowboy boots and his farm in West Virginia—he was a civil rights warrior, a spirited lawyer and a mentor for young legal professionals. Honoring his legacy, Sanford Heisler Sharp has now launched the Tom Henderson Civil Rights Fellowship, an annual one-year position for young attorneys who have not only demonstrated academic excellence, but also proven their commitment to civil rights.

“He had vision of what his life would be and he lived his vision. He came out of law school and did public interest work his entire life,” the firm’s founding partner David Sanford said. Henderson, who was 69 when he died in October 2021 (the cause of death was not disclosed), joined Sanford Heisler Sharp in 2008, three decades after receiving his law degree at the University of Pittsburgh.