Magistrate Shayla Purifoy’s parents met in Coldwater, MS and she and her twin sister were born in Memphis. They along with  her older sister, Kendra, grew up in Frayser, attended Snowden Elementary, and "the” Central High School. Her grandfather was a teacher at Whitehaven High School. Her Mom was an X-ray technician until she was diagnosed with a lifelong illness and her Dad is a retired school teacher, Federal Express Worker, and disc jockey. 

Magistrate Purifoy graduated from Rhodes College and the University of Memphis School of Law School where she received the CALI Award, the highest grade in the course, for General Civil Litigation and Trial Advocacy. She started her lifelong career of public service immediately at Memphis Area Legal Services as a Staff Attorney in their civil Domestic Violence and Family Law Unit where she handled custody, visitation, divorce, orders of protection, appeals of orders of protection, mediation, and gave advice for civil legal issues for almost eight years. 

In 2016 she was appointed to her current role in the judiciary where she has served for nearly a decade hearing criminal and civil matters. Magistrate Purifoy was President of the Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association in 2020 and has continued to remain involved in community groups and professional affiliations during her career. She lives in Memphis with her husband Fish and their dog, Sgt. Pepper. Magistrate Purifoy loves to listen to music, garden, read, volunteer, and visit local restaurants.