Ebony Woodruff is a first-generation attorney, legal entrepreneur, and public policy advocate. Her career has spanned various sectors, including education, law, government, public service, and nonprofit leadership. In 2013, she made history as the first woman elected to represent District 87 in the Louisiana House of Representatives. During her tenure, she authored and advanced agricultural and food policy legislation, solidifying her lifelong commitment to building an equitable and inclusive food system.
A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Ebony earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Agricultural and Food Law from the University of Arkansas School of Law, a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the Southern University Law Center, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Louisiana State University. She is the inaugural Director of the Agricultural Law Institute at Southern University Law Center, an Aspen Institute Food Leaders Fellow, a certified Master Gardener, and an agricultural mediator. Ebony is nationally recognized for her work supporting intentionally underserved farmers and agricultural landowners. Her expertise and advocacy were highlighted in the award-winning documentary Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land, which features her work on heirs' property.
EXPERIENCE
Southern University Law Center Agricultural Law Institute, Director
Federation of Southern Cooperatives/ Land Assistance Fund, Attorney
John Deere / Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Legal Fellow
Louisiana House of Representatives, State Representative (Jefferson Parish, District 87)
Jefferson Parish Attorney's Office, Assistant Parish Attorney
Jefferson Parish Council District Office, Clerk
Law Office of Ebony T. Woodruff, LLC, Founding Attorney
Provost Farm Heritage Center & Community Garden, Inc., Board Member
Louisiana Food Policy Action Council, Past Chair
New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee, Past Co-Chair
Louisiana Obesity Prevention & Management Commission, Past Co-Chair
Jefferson Parish Finance Authority, Former Trustee
LEADERSHIP
EDUCATION
LL.M., Agricultural and Food Law
University of Arkansas School of Law
J.D., Civil Law
Southern University Law Center
B.S., Business Administration
Louisiana State University
LICENSES
Louisiana State Bar #32274
Louisiana Notary #88658
FELLOWSHIPS
2023 Aspen Institute Food Leaders Fellow
2024 Louisiana Food Fellow
2025 Coastal Leadership Institute Fellow
AFFILIATIONS
Black Professionals in Food and Agriculture
Black Women in Ag
Louisiana Women in Agriculture
MEDIA
September 4, 2025
July 16, 2024
Gaining Ground: What is Heirs' Property Land?
Al Roker Entertainment
2023
Weediquette (Season 1, Episode 3 - The War on Weed)
Vice TV
March 15, 2016
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
The Practice of Law, Presenter
Louisiana State University
Future Black Women in Law Association
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
October 22, 2025
PAST
From Farm to Food Policy, Presenter
NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Food Environment & Policy Research Coalition
Webinar
September 17, 2025
Heirs' Property Legal Aid, Presenter
NeighborWorks Training Institute
New Orleans, Louisiana
August 27, 2025
Food Deserts, Health Outcomes, and the Law, Presenter
The Neurodivurgent Conference
New Orleans, Louisiana
July 17 - 19, 2025
Legal, Policy, and Economic Challenges for Black Farmers, Panelist
SULC Journal of Race, Gender, and Poverty Symposium
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
February 22, 2025
Agricultural Law, Presenter
Southern University Law Center 2024 End of Year Continuing Legal Education
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
December 14, 2024
Heirs Property, Presenter
Build Our Economic Wealth
Webinar
October 22, 2024
Land Tenure and Farm Transitions, Presenter
Underserved Farmers Webinar Series
Webinar
September 11, 2024
Heirs Property Certification Program, Presenter
Southern Regional Risk Management Conference
Pensacola Beach, Florida
August 5-6, 2024
Heirs Property / Transition Land to the Next Generation, Presenter
Southern Family Farmers and Food Systems Conference
San Marcos, Texas
August 3-6, 2024
Estate Planning, Presenter
Southern University Law Center
Webinar
July 18, 2024
Legal Frameworks: Navigating Legality of Forming a Cooperative, Panelist
The National Conference on Black Cooperative Agenda
St. Paul, Minnesota
June 13, 2024
Heirs' Property, Presenter
Southern University Law Center
Webinar
May 29, 2024
Heirs' Property Update, Panelist
USDA National Agricultural Library (NAL)
Webinar
May 14, 2024
Gaining Ground Screening, Panelist
The (In)Justice For All Film Festival International
Chicago, Illinois
April 6, 2024
Gaining Ground Screening, Panelist
MANRRS 38th Annual Training Conference and Career Expo - Diversity Summit
Chicago, Illinois
March 20, 2024
Funding Fundamentals and Fellowships for Agricultural Entrepreneurship, Panelist
MANRRS 38th Annual Training Conference and Career Expo - Diversity Summit
Chicago, Illinois
March 21, 2024
Heirs' Property, Presenter
Zinpro
Webinar
February 20, 2024
Estate Planning, Presenter
Save Rural America Conference
Amite, Louisiana
January 23, 2024
Land Tenure Challenges for Black Farmers, Presenter
2023 End of the Year CLE
Southern University Law Center
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
December 15, 2023
Heirs Property, Presenter
50th Annual Bayou Classic CLE
Southern University Law Center
New Orleans, Louisiana
November 24, 2023
The Path Forward - Heirs' Property Certification Program, Panelist
Heirs' Property Practitioners Network Retreat
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
October 28, 2023
Bridging the Gap - Creating a Transformative Pipeline for MBEs Success in Agriculture, Panelist
National Minority Supplier Development Council 2023 Annual Conference & Exchange
Baltimore, Maryland
October 25, 2023
Food, Policy & Law Forum: Legacies of American Slavery in Farming & Agriculture, Panelist
Dillard University Ray Charles Program in African American Material Culture
New Orleans, Louisiana
October 19, 2023
Generational Land Management, Panelist
AgFTAP Training
Weslaco, Texas
October 11, 2023
USDA DFAP Assistance, Presenter
Provost Farm Heritage Center, Inc.
New Iberia, Louisiana
September 23, 2023
USDA DFAP Assistance, Presenter
Morehouse Parish Black Farmers & Landowners
Bastrop, Louisiana
August 29, 2023
Heirs Property / Transition Land to the Next Generation, Presenter
Southern Family Farmers and Food Systems Conference
San Marcos, Texas
August 6-8, 2023
Heirs Property and Heirs Property Certification Program, Presenter
Southern Regional Risk Management Conference
Pensacola Beach, Florida
August 2-3, 2023
The Importance of Wills, Presenter
Morehouse Parish 2023 Farm Field Day
Bastrop, Louisiana
July 21, 2023
Heirs Property, Presenter
Louisiana State Bar Association CLE
Webinar
June 23, 2023
Heirs Property: Practical Tips and Pointers for Resolving Title, Presenter
Tenth Annual Mid-South Agricultural & Environmental Law Conference
Memphis, Tennessee
June 8-9, 2023
HBCUs and Cooperative Community Development, Panelist
The National Conference on Black Cooperative Agenda
Las Vegas, Nevada
June 1-3, 2023
Heirs Property: A Case Study of Cultural Competency in Pro Bono, Presenter
25th American Bar Association / National Legal Aid & Defender Association Equal Justice Conference
Dallas, Texas
May 4-6, 2023
Growing Careers in Agricultural & Food Law for Law Students, Guest Speaker
The National Agricultural Law Center and the American Agricultural Law Association
Webinar
March 29, 2023
Heirs Property, Presenter
Alabama A&M University and FSC/ LAF Conservation Reserve Program Workshop
Gainesville, Alabama
March 25, 2023
2023 Farm Bill and Heirs' Property, Presenter
Mississippi Association of Cooperatives 51st Annual Meeting
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
March 17 - 18, 2023
Agricultural Law, Presenter
Southern University Law Center 2022 End of Year Continuing Legal Education
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
December 16-17, 2022
Estate Planning Essentials for Heirs Property Owners, Presenter
Forward 2023 National Heirs Property Conference
Atlanta, Georgia
December 1-3, 2022
Social and Economic Justice in the Black Belt: Opportunities and Challenges for Transformation, Panelist
80th Professional Agricultural Workers Conference
Tuskegee, Alabama
November 13-15, 2022
Heirs Property & Implications for Funding & Financial Access, Moderator
CDFIs and Regenerative Agriculture, Panelist
9th Conservation Finance Roundtable
Durham, North Carolina
November 1-3, 2022
Rising from the Depths of Slavery: Legacies of Cultural Expression, Food, Music & Tourism, Mistress of Ceremony
Dillard University Ray Charles Program in African-American Material Culture Symposium
New Orleans, Louisiana
October 28-29, 2022
Land Advocacy Fellowship Session , Panelist
National Young Farmers Coalition Session
Virtual
October 18, 2022
Heirs Property & the USDA Heirs Property Relending Program, Presenter
American Community Gardening Association 43rd Annual Conference
New Orleans, Louisiana
October 6-9, 2022
Estate Planning, Heirs Property & USDA Heirs Property Relending Program, Presenter
11th Annual Louisiana Small Farmer Conference
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
September 21-23, 2022