In Our Court: The Fight for Justice in North Carolina
A timely educational series designed to examine the role North Carolina’s judiciary plays in our daily lives
“In Our Court: The Fight for Justice in North Carolina” Conference – Saturday, April 12, at NCCU School of Law (640 Nelson St, Durham)
In Our Court is a timely educational series examining the vital role North Carolina’s judiciary plays in our daily lives. Through interactive breakout sessions, informative panel discussions, innovative art installations and storytelling and inspiring keynotes, the inaugural The In Our Court: The Fight for Justice in North Carolina Conference provides a vision for the state courts we deserve.
The North Carolina we want to see is In Our Court.
Don’t miss highlights from the day on our YouTube channel.
Questions? Contact us at northcarolina@commoncause.org
The In Our Court Conference is sponsored by Common Cause NC, American Constitution Society, Democracy NC, Emancipate NC, HBCU Student Action Alliance, People’s Parity Project, Pro-Choice North Carolina, and Southern Vision Alliance.
Conference Details
9:15-9:45 AM | Check-in and Breakfast
9:45-10:00 AM | Welcome and Inspired Open
Jazmyne Abney, Campus Program Manager, Common Cause NC, will open the day, and
C.J. Suitt, Poet Laureate of Chapel Hill, will set the tone with a special poem designed to inspire In Our Court attendees.
10:00-10:50 AM | Opening Plenary – Panel
Pipeline to Power: Building Justice Where You Are
What does justice really mean in our everyday lives as North Carolinians and how can we get better at upholding it? This all-star panel featuring campus leaders and community experts provides insightful and relatable perspectives on ways we can all be more involved — no matter our background, age, or interests—in shaping the judiciary we want to see.
10:50 – 11:00 PM | MORNING BREAK
11:00-11:30 AM + 11:30-12:00 PM | Breakouts (You Pick Two)
Morning Breakout 1 — Back to Basics: Justice From Municipalities to Midterms
The fight for a more just North Carolina starts local — and this year — when your votes mean even more. Learn more about North Carolina’s upcoming municipal, state, and federal elections and how these contests impact our ability to live in a more fair and just state.
Morning Breakout 2—Back to Basics: Building Justice Beyond Voting
This session goes beyond the question ‘How do we get more people to vote?’ to ask ‘how can we bring about real change for our people through a broader view of civic engagement?’ Explore ways to bring about real and lasting change — from the classroom to your community — through a broader lens of civic engagement that goes beyond the ballot box.
Morning Breakout 3 — Case Studies: Victories with Just One Vote
In odd-year elections, dozens of North Carolina races may be decided by a single vote. Even a supreme court seat has been chosen by less than one vote per every North Carolina city, town, and village. Learn more about an individual’s “superpower” at the polls — especially in 2025 and 2026 — and the most compelling ways to help others understand how a more just North Carolina is possible with just one vote.
12:15-12:30 | BREAK + LUNCH
12:30 – 1:00 PM | Midday Keynote: Former Chief Justice Cheri Beasley
Theme: “In Your Court: The Power of One Person to a More Just North Carolina”
No one can speak to the power voters have in changing the trajectory of the judiciary like Former N.C. State Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley. Cheri Beasley is a jurist who served as a North Carolina associate justice from 2012 to 2019 and was the first African-American woman to serve as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, from 2019 to 2020. A believer in an independent judicial branch that administers justice fairly and the role courts can play in helping people better their lives, Beasley has long advocated for judicial reforms “for the people” such as expanding access to treatment courts and court accessibility. Justice Beasley will close our morning together by elevating the power of every North Carolinian in building a more just North Carolina.
Afternoon Sessions | Theme: “In Our Court: North Carolina’s Collective Power”
1:00-1:10 PM | AFTERNOON BREAK
1:10-2:00 PM | Post-Lunch Plenary — Panel
Connecting to Justice: From Reproductive Rights to Racial Equality
In order to more effectively advocate for justice in our lives, North Carolinians must understand how state court judges at all levels can have an impact on the issues driving them to the polls — from reproductive freedom and environmental protections to racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights. Issue experts share the latest on how upcoming judicial elections will have a major impact on our basic rights.
2:00 – 2:15 PM | AFTERNOON BREAK
2:15-2:45 + 2:45-3:15 PM | Breakouts – You Pick Two
Afternoon Breakout 1—Looking ahead: Justice after Jefferson Griffin
Judge Jefferson Griffin’s efforts to reverse the outcome of his failed bid for a seat on the state supreme court centered on challenging the eligible votes of 66,000+ North Carolinians in court and casting doubt on the state’s free and fair elections. Experts share the latest impact of Griffin’s case and what it signals for election challenges in the future. Check out articles from our expert speakers Robyn Sanders and Billy Corriher.
Afternoon Breakout 2 —Looking ahead: Justice on Jones St. Bad Bills, Good Opportunities
From changes to judicial transparency to attacks on access to democracy, in recent years North Carolina’s conservative supreme court appears more in lockstep with the legislature’s GOP majority than ever. Learn more about the legislature’s current plans during the 2025 session and how their proposals could impact the pursuit for justice for years to come.
Afternoon Breakout 3 — Case Studies: Justice from Collective Action
No justice, no peace! From social media pressure campaigns to mass mobilizations, for years North Carolinians have been using the power of online and offline activism to pursue fairer courts and call for judicial checks and balances on extreme actions. This session provides examples of strategies and tactics that have worked at winning better outcomes for North Carolinians through better courts.
3:15 – 3:30 PM | AFTERNOON BREAK
3:30 – 4:00 PM | Afternoon Keynote: Justice Allison Riggs
Theme: “In Our Court: North Carolina’s Collective Power”
Justice Allison Riggs was appointed to serve on the North Carolina Supreme Court in September of 2023 and has spent her entire career fighting for equal justice under the law for every North Carolinian, including when her 2024 state supreme court opponent challenged the votes of 66,000 North Carolinians in order to overturn her election. Justice Riggs will close In Our Court by elevating our collective power in the fight for justice in North Carolina.
4:00 – 5:00 PM | COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS and EXHIBITION MINGLE
The day closes with a collective agreement to take follow-up actions, including an overview of upcoming events and ongoing efforts— on campus and in community —while also holding space for attendees to mingle with experts, campus and community, experience the inaugural Gavel-to-Gavel exhibits, and share their reflections and stories, including “what we are taking with us” from our day together In Our Court.
4:00 – 5:15 PM | Special Session for Impacted Voters | Rm 100
Storytelling As Advocacy: Elevating Our Voices in the Fight for Fair Courts.
Of the 66,000+ North Carolina voters challenged by losing state supreme court candidate Jefferson Griffin, a disproportionate number were younger and student voters. Dr. Gunther Peck (Duke University) and Dr. Artemesia Stanberry (NC Central University) of the Student Voting Rights Lab at Duke and NCCU invite impacted voters from NCCU, Duke, and surrounding universities and communities to come together to learn why they were challenged, important “next steps” to protect their votes, and how to use their voices to fight for fair courts in the future.
Conference Speakers
Adrienne Kelly
Adrienne Kelly is the Interim Executive Director at Democracy NC, with responsibility and oversight for the operations and development teams. Prior to this role, she was the Co-Executive Director and Operations Director, charged with streamlining operations and leading the effective administration of the organization in support of its mission.
Adrienne entered the non-profit sector after working for IBM and Hewlett-Packard companies, and then owning a telecommunications business for two decades. Prior to joining the organization, she was Chief Operations Officer for a non-profit organization in the education industry. She has volunteered in numerous capacities for Wake County public schools and is a strong advocate for public education. Active in grassroots organizations, Adrienne has been a defender of voter education and advocacy, women’s rights and other issues that impact disenfranchised populations. She has been recognized by the National Association of Women Business Owners, Greater Raleigh Chamber, YWCA Academy of Women, Wesleyan University and others for her leadership, advocacy and community service. Adrienne has a BA from Wesleyan University (CT) and an MBA from Harvard University (MA).
Adrienne entered the non-profit sector after working for IBM and Hewlett-Packard companies, and then owning a telecommunications business for two decades. Prior to joining the organization, she was Chief Operations Officer for a non-profit organization in the education industry. She has volunteered in numerous capacities for Wake County public schools and is a strong advocate for public education. Active in grassroots organizations, Adrienne has been a defender of voter education and advocacy, women’s rights and other issues that impact disenfranchised populations. She has been recognized by the National Association of Women Business Owners, Greater Raleigh Chamber, YWCA Academy of Women, Wesleyan University and others for her leadership, advocacy and community service. Adrienne has a BA from Wesleyan University (CT) and an MBA from Harvard University (MA).
Alexis Staten
Alexis Staten is a senior at North Carolina Central University studying political science. She has various experiences with civic engagement and activism, including serving as a canvasser for the North Carolina Black Alliance, and sparking an initiative to address voter identification disenfranchisement by advocating for students who faced barriers to voting. Alexis is also a fellow in the Research Institute for Scholars of Equity (RISE) program, an interdisciplinary training program that prepares a new generation of scholars committed to addressing issues of social equity.
This spring, Alexis will serve as a State Engagement Intern with The Hunt Institute, a nonprofit organization that empowers governors, policymakers, and other educational leaders in the development and implementation of non-partisan, comprehensive strategies for the transformation of public education. She is also a certified paralegal. Alexis aspires to work at the intersection of politics, technology, and data, leveraging digital tools and analytical insights to drive policy decisions, enhance civic engagement, and address systemic challenges within governance and society.
This spring, Alexis will serve as a State Engagement Intern with The Hunt Institute, a nonprofit organization that empowers governors, policymakers, and other educational leaders in the development and implementation of non-partisan, comprehensive strategies for the transformation of public education. She is also a certified paralegal. Alexis aspires to work at the intersection of politics, technology, and data, leveraging digital tools and analytical insights to drive policy decisions, enhance civic engagement, and address systemic challenges within governance and society.
Justice Allison Riggs
Justice Allison Riggs has spent her entire career fighting for equal justice under the law for every North Carolinian. Justice Riggs grew up in the mountains of West Virginia, in a family with a proud tradition of military service. She put herself through college, graduate school and law school at the University of Florida. In law school, she worked with hundreds of people in her community who had lost their right to vote as a result of interaction with the criminal justice system. It was in Florida that she found my passion for serving her community and making sure that every person has the right to vote.
After law school, Justice Riggs spent 14 years as a civil rights and voting rights attorney at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice in Durham, eventually serving as the Co-Executive Director for Programs and Chief Counsel for Voting Rights. In that role, she worked with communities across the South to advocate for fair elections and safe and healthy environments. She has aruged before the U.S. Supreme Court twice in landmark redistricting cases. Governor Cooper appointed Riggs to the Court of Appeals in 2023, and then to the North Carolina Supreme Court. On the Supreme Court, she’s been proud to approach all the cases that have and will come before me with thoughtfulness, compassion, and a commitment to the rule of law.
After law school, Justice Riggs spent 14 years as a civil rights and voting rights attorney at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice in Durham, eventually serving as the Co-Executive Director for Programs and Chief Counsel for Voting Rights. In that role, she worked with communities across the South to advocate for fair elections and safe and healthy environments. She has aruged before the U.S. Supreme Court twice in landmark redistricting cases. Governor Cooper appointed Riggs to the Court of Appeals in 2023, and then to the North Carolina Supreme Court. On the Supreme Court, she’s been proud to approach all the cases that have and will come before me with thoughtfulness, compassion, and a commitment to the rule of law.
Ann Webb
joined Common Cause North Carolina in 2023 as the organization's policy director. Ann's work includes leading policy advocacy efforts across the state and in the legislature to protect and expand our democracy.
Prior to joining Common Cause, Ann lobbied on civil rights and civil liberties issues with the ACLU of North Carolina and served as an attorney in the U.S. Department of Labor. Ann is a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and American University Washington College of Law.
Prior to joining Common Cause, Ann lobbied on civil rights and civil liberties issues with the ACLU of North Carolina and served as an attorney in the U.S. Department of Labor. Ann is a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and American University Washington College of Law.
Annika Aristimuno
Annika Aristimuno is a Student Researcher with the Student Voting Rights Lab at Duke University. A junior from Montclair, New Jersey, Annika studies Public Policy and International Comparative Studies, completing the Human Rights Certificate. She is passionate about voting rights and addressing the interconnected systems of inequality through policy and organizing.
At Duke, Annika is a student researcher on the Provisional Ballots, Provisional Rights: Protecting Student Voters Bass Connections project; president of Duke Democrats; a Public Policy undergraduate student ambassador; and a member of the Duke Association for Business Oriented Women. In the summer of 2024, she served as an Advocacy and Outreach Intern at Population Connection in Washington, D.C., as a Stanback Fellow. Annika is also co-founder of Letters for Rose, an international teen-led organization that collects and delivers letters, art, and donations to nursing homes worldwide. After graduation, she plans to attend law school and pursue a career in policy, where she can combine her organizing and policy analysis skills to combat systemic inequality with a legal approach.
At Duke, Annika is a student researcher on the Provisional Ballots, Provisional Rights: Protecting Student Voters Bass Connections project; president of Duke Democrats; a Public Policy undergraduate student ambassador; and a member of the Duke Association for Business Oriented Women. In the summer of 2024, she served as an Advocacy and Outreach Intern at Population Connection in Washington, D.C., as a Stanback Fellow. Annika is also co-founder of Letters for Rose, an international teen-led organization that collects and delivers letters, art, and donations to nursing homes worldwide. After graduation, she plans to attend law school and pursue a career in policy, where she can combine her organizing and policy analysis skills to combat systemic inequality with a legal approach.
Ashley Mitchell
Ashley Mitchell is a native of Elizabeth City, NC, and a 2017 graduate of Wake Forest University (WFU), where she obtained a Degree in Sociology with a concentration in Criminology and Double Minors in American Ethnic Studies and Music. After graduating from WFU, Ashley attended North Carolina Central University School of Law and graduated in May 2020. She has been a Licensed Attorney in the State of North Carolina since 2020.
Ashley has an interest in civil rights, criminal, and juvenile justice law which led her to become the co-founder of iEmpower, Inc. - a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the mission of encouraging education, civic engagement, leadership, and service amongst youth and their families in Northeast, North Carolina.
As a staff attorney for Forward Justice (FJ), Attorney Mitchell acts as Voting Rights Counsel on various election related litigation and works closely with FJ’s organizing team on strategy around research, community outreach, and advocacy efforts. Since the 2020 election season, Attorney Mitchell has been instrumental in leading work with voting rights partners to protect and expand voting rights across North Carolina. In the 2024 election cycle she co-lead a team of attorneys who monitored and tracked voter suppression efforts and acts of intimidation during both the election cycles; provided real-time assistance to voters who encountered issues across the state; and co-lead a “Protect Our Vote” tour across the state aimed at informing North Carolina voters of their rights and current election law, legislation and litigation that would have an impact on their voting experience.
Ashley has an interest in civil rights, criminal, and juvenile justice law which led her to become the co-founder of iEmpower, Inc. - a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the mission of encouraging education, civic engagement, leadership, and service amongst youth and their families in Northeast, North Carolina.
As a staff attorney for Forward Justice (FJ), Attorney Mitchell acts as Voting Rights Counsel on various election related litigation and works closely with FJ’s organizing team on strategy around research, community outreach, and advocacy efforts. Since the 2020 election season, Attorney Mitchell has been instrumental in leading work with voting rights partners to protect and expand voting rights across North Carolina. In the 2024 election cycle she co-lead a team of attorneys who monitored and tracked voter suppression efforts and acts of intimidation during both the election cycles; provided real-time assistance to voters who encountered issues across the state; and co-lead a “Protect Our Vote” tour across the state aimed at informing North Carolina voters of their rights and current election law, legislation and litigation that would have an impact on their voting experience.
Beatrice Beaubrun
Beatrice Beaubrun (she/her/that girl) is Deputy Director at NC For The People & N.C. For The People Action (she/her/that girl) and has over a decade of experience in political organizing, nonprofit management, and communications. As the Deputy Director, she leverages her expertise to build coalitions, drive civic engagement, and advance digital security in the fight for equitable policies. A Jersey native and proud Haitian-American, Beatrice’s journey in advocacy began with her work on the 2008 election doing GOTV alongside her mom, knocking on doors in the streets of Philly. Her passion for elevating marginalized voices led her to pursue a B.A. in Political Science from North Carolina Central University and an M.A. in Communications from Queens University of Charlotte. Through her diverse roles, Beatrice remains committed to amplifying underrepresented voices and expanding opportunities for growth and change in the communities she serves.
Billy Corriher
Billy Corriher is the state courts manager for People’s Parity Project and a longtime advocate for fair courts and progressive judges.
You can read Billy’s writing on the North Carolina Supreme Court for Slate, Democracy Docket, Governing, Facing South, and other outlets. Billy has also helped fight Republican attempts to pack North Carolina's courts with judges who would limit the rights of workers and voters, and he has worked with progressive courts advocates around the country. In 2021, he released a book titled Usurpers: How Voters Stopped the GOP Takeover of North Carolina’s Courts.
You can read Billy’s writing on the North Carolina Supreme Court for Slate, Democracy Docket, Governing, Facing South, and other outlets. Billy has also helped fight Republican attempts to pack North Carolina's courts with judges who would limit the rights of workers and voters, and he has worked with progressive courts advocates around the country. In 2021, he released a book titled Usurpers: How Voters Stopped the GOP Takeover of North Carolina’s Courts.
Chief Justice Cheri Beasley (Ret.)
Chief Justice Cheri Beasley (Ret.) is a distinguished former jurist, private practitioner and seasoned ADR professional. Her legal career has been marked by a series of historic achievements and a deep commitment to public service and upholding the rule of law.
In 2019, Chief Justice Beasley made history as the first African American woman to serve as chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. During her tenure, she advocated for judicial reforms such as expanding access to treatment courts and introducing electronic filing systems to improve court accessibility. She also created the Rules Advisory Commission to recommend updates to the N.C. Rules of Civil Procedure and N.C. General Rules of Practice to prepare for electronic filing, telehearings and cloud-based access to court files.
Chief Justice Beasley took her place on the North Carolina bench in 1999, serving for a decade as a district court judge, where she presided over thousands of civil, family, juvenile, criminal and traffic cases. In 2008, she was elected to the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and in 2012, she became an associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Prior to her judicial career, she served as an assistant public defender in Cumberland County, North Carolina.
As a jurist, Chief Justice Beasley presided over numerous cases through pretrial rulings, bench trials, judgments and settlement conferences. She handled and resolved the most challenging and multifaceted matters across a wide range of industries, including those in the complex business and commercial, civil rights, employment, insurance, personal injury and product liability arenas.After a judicial career that spanned over two decades, Chief Justice Beasley practiced as a partner at McGuireWoods in the Business and Securities Litigation Section and, just before joining JAMS, as a shareholder at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, where she focused on complex business and commercial litigation and economic development. Chief Justice Beasley is active in bench and bar presentations and events and supports community initiatives that advance education and hunger relief.
In 2019, Chief Justice Beasley made history as the first African American woman to serve as chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. During her tenure, she advocated for judicial reforms such as expanding access to treatment courts and introducing electronic filing systems to improve court accessibility. She also created the Rules Advisory Commission to recommend updates to the N.C. Rules of Civil Procedure and N.C. General Rules of Practice to prepare for electronic filing, telehearings and cloud-based access to court files.
Chief Justice Beasley took her place on the North Carolina bench in 1999, serving for a decade as a district court judge, where she presided over thousands of civil, family, juvenile, criminal and traffic cases. In 2008, she was elected to the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and in 2012, she became an associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Prior to her judicial career, she served as an assistant public defender in Cumberland County, North Carolina.
As a jurist, Chief Justice Beasley presided over numerous cases through pretrial rulings, bench trials, judgments and settlement conferences. She handled and resolved the most challenging and multifaceted matters across a wide range of industries, including those in the complex business and commercial, civil rights, employment, insurance, personal injury and product liability arenas.After a judicial career that spanned over two decades, Chief Justice Beasley practiced as a partner at McGuireWoods in the Business and Securities Litigation Section and, just before joining JAMS, as a shareholder at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, where she focused on complex business and commercial litigation and economic development. Chief Justice Beasley is active in bench and bar presentations and events and supports community initiatives that advance education and hunger relief.
CJ Suitt
CJ Suitt (he,him/they,them) is a performance poet, arts educator, and community organizer from Chapel Hill, NC, whose work is rooted in storytelling and social justice. CJ was recently appointed as the inaugural Poet Laureate of Chapel Hill, NC.
CJ co-directed, produced, and starred in a historical reenactment of the 1947 Freedom Rides, performed at many national and local music festivals, including Gnarnia, Shakori Hills and Bonnaroo, and acted in a production of Hands Up: 6 Playwrights, 6 Testaments. His career as an educator has allowed him to work with young people awaiting trial at the Durham Youth Home, older inmates whose voices have been silenced within the Orange County Correctional Facility, and high school and college-aged men pushing to redefine masculinity in their schools and communities. Additionally, he has collaborated with organizations such as Transplanting Traditions, Benevolence Farm, and Growing Change on the intersection of storytelling and food justice. He is committed to speaking truth to power and aims to be a bridge for communities who can't always see themselves in each other.
CJ co-directed, produced, and starred in a historical reenactment of the 1947 Freedom Rides, performed at many national and local music festivals, including Gnarnia, Shakori Hills and Bonnaroo, and acted in a production of Hands Up: 6 Playwrights, 6 Testaments. His career as an educator has allowed him to work with young people awaiting trial at the Durham Youth Home, older inmates whose voices have been silenced within the Orange County Correctional Facility, and high school and college-aged men pushing to redefine masculinity in their schools and communities. Additionally, he has collaborated with organizations such as Transplanting Traditions, Benevolence Farm, and Growing Change on the intersection of storytelling and food justice. He is committed to speaking truth to power and aims to be a bridge for communities who can't always see themselves in each other.
Dawn Blagrove
Dawn Blagrove is an attorney and a proud graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) and North Carolina Central School of Law. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in political science with a minor in Secondary Education, cum laude from FAMU, where she also obtained a Master’s Degree, magna cum laude, in Applied Social Science.
After graduating law school, Blagrove worked for eight years as a post-conviction staff attorney with North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services, where she co-managed the jail credit team of five paralegals dedicated to jail credit issues. During this time, Blagrove evaluated and prioritized requests for criminal post-conviction representation from people incarcerated in North Carolina’s Department of Correction. On their behalf, she litigated motions for appropriate relief and petitions for writs of habeas corpus in N.C. trial and appellate courts. Blagrove also litigated federal habeas actions in U.S. District Courts in N.C.; the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, VA.; and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Blagrove has emerged as a leading voice in North Carolina, demanding an end to mass incarceration and the dismantling of systemic and institutional racism. Blagrove was also recognized by Governor Cooper as a subject matter expert for consultation with the NC Taskforce on Racial Equity in Criminal Justice. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, she was one of the organizers of a protest in Raleigh, North Carolina that drew over 5,000 people. Since then she has conducted innumerable public trainings on an array of criminal justice issues, including defunding the police, ending cash bail, police accountability, and health impacts of being justice involved, to name a few. She also has taught an array of Continuing Legal Education courses on community and movement lawyering.
Blagrove constantly engages in community conversations challenging the status quo. She has been a guest on multiple NPR segments and interviewed by many of the leading journalists in the state.
Today, Blagrove’s experience as a post-conviction attorney, combined with her undergraduate training in Secondary Education, fuel her passion for educating youth and the public about abolishing the carceral system as Executive Director of Emancipate NC. Dawn Blagrove is married to Martin Blagrove and mother to Madison and Erin.
After graduating law school, Blagrove worked for eight years as a post-conviction staff attorney with North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services, where she co-managed the jail credit team of five paralegals dedicated to jail credit issues. During this time, Blagrove evaluated and prioritized requests for criminal post-conviction representation from people incarcerated in North Carolina’s Department of Correction. On their behalf, she litigated motions for appropriate relief and petitions for writs of habeas corpus in N.C. trial and appellate courts. Blagrove also litigated federal habeas actions in U.S. District Courts in N.C.; the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, VA.; and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Blagrove has emerged as a leading voice in North Carolina, demanding an end to mass incarceration and the dismantling of systemic and institutional racism. Blagrove was also recognized by Governor Cooper as a subject matter expert for consultation with the NC Taskforce on Racial Equity in Criminal Justice. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, she was one of the organizers of a protest in Raleigh, North Carolina that drew over 5,000 people. Since then she has conducted innumerable public trainings on an array of criminal justice issues, including defunding the police, ending cash bail, police accountability, and health impacts of being justice involved, to name a few. She also has taught an array of Continuing Legal Education courses on community and movement lawyering.
Blagrove constantly engages in community conversations challenging the status quo. She has been a guest on multiple NPR segments and interviewed by many of the leading journalists in the state.
Today, Blagrove’s experience as a post-conviction attorney, combined with her undergraduate training in Secondary Education, fuel her passion for educating youth and the public about abolishing the carceral system as Executive Director of Emancipate NC. Dawn Blagrove is married to Martin Blagrove and mother to Madison and Erin.
Devin Freeman
Devin Freeman is a North Carolina Central University senior studying Political Science. He is passionate about understanding the intersections of law and public policy. He has experience in these related fields by interning for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the US House of Representatives, and the NC Chamber and more. Devin’s goal is to make marginalized people civically active so that they become civically engaged in building political power for communities. On campus Devin served as Class President, NAACP President, and Kamala Harris Surrogate. He has won several awards such as the Public Policy & International Affairs (PPIA) Law and Public Policy Fellowship, ‘Next Gen Leader’ White House Historical Association Fellowship, Harvard PPLC Fellowship and more. Recently, Devin has published a children’s book ‘Building a Better Block with Brandon’ which empowers children to be self-aware and resolve-oriented. Lastly, Devin Freeman plans to commission as an officer in the Army Reserve branching intelligence as well as he’s been accepted to the Master of Public Administration at Cornells Brooks School with a full tuition scholarship and will be attending this upcoming fall of 2025 and plans to receive a Juris Doctorate at Yale and then shortly enter politics. Devin is from Kernersville, North Carolina.
Faith Allen
Faith Allen was born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina. There, she attended Weaver Academy for Performing and Visual Arts as a Vocal Performance student. After, she obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and majored in Political Science. Presently, she is a 2L at North Carolina Central University School of Law. Faith is a State Courts Fellow with the People's Parity Project, and is currently conducting political research on imbalanced justice and North Carolina's judiciary. She spends most of her time outside of academia as a community organizer with her saddle club, the CRU, fundraising to provide direct resources to underprivileged people in rural communities.
Gene Nichol
Gene Nichol is a professor of law teaching courses in the constitution and federal courts. He was president of the College of William & Mary (2005-2008), law dean at the University of Colorado (1988-1995) and dean at UNC from 1999-2005. He is the author of LESSONS FROM NORTH CAROLINA: Race, Religion, Tribe and the Future of America (Blair Publishing, 2023); INDECENT ASSEMBLY: The North Carolina Legislature’s Blueprint for the War Against Democracy and Equality (Blair Publishing, 2020); THE FACES OF POVERTY IN NORTH CAROLINA: Stories From Our Invisible Citizens (UNC Press, 2018); FEDERAL COURTS (5th ed. 2021, Marshall & Wells). He’s published articles in the Harvard, Yale, Chicago, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Duke, California, and Virginia law reviews, and the Supreme Court Review, He’s been a columnist for the Raleigh News & Observer for 20 years and for the Charlotte Observer and Durham Herald for many years. He’s also written for The Nation, the Washington Post, Southern Cultures and Slate Magazine.
In 2003, Nichol received the ABA’s Edward Finch Award for the nation’s best Law Day address. In 2004-5, he was named Carolina’s pro bono professor of the year, was inducted into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, and Equal Justice Works named him pro bono dean of the year. In 2008, he received Oklahoma State University’s Distinguished Alumnus Award; the “Courage To Do Justice Award” from the National Employment Lawyers Association; and the Thomas Jefferson Award for defense of religious liberty from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. In 2013, the NC Council of Churches gave Nichol its Faith Active in Public Life Award; the NC-ACLU named him its W.W. Finlator Award winner; and UNC gave him its Thomas Jefferson Award — the university’s highest faculty honor. In 2014, he received the McCall Teaching Award from UNC School of Law and the University of Colorado’s Joanne Arnold award for courage in defense of civil liberty.
In 2018, he was invited by the faculty of the University of Michigan to give the annual Davis, Markert, Nickerson Academic Freedom Lecture and received UNC’s Wettach Award for research excellence. In 2024 he received the North Carolina Justice Center’s Lifetime Champion of Justice honor. Nichol attended Oklahoma State University, receiving a degree in philosophy and playing varsity football. He obtained his J.D. from the University of Texas, graduating Order of the Coif.
In 2003, Nichol received the ABA’s Edward Finch Award for the nation’s best Law Day address. In 2004-5, he was named Carolina’s pro bono professor of the year, was inducted into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, and Equal Justice Works named him pro bono dean of the year. In 2008, he received Oklahoma State University’s Distinguished Alumnus Award; the “Courage To Do Justice Award” from the National Employment Lawyers Association; and the Thomas Jefferson Award for defense of religious liberty from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. In 2013, the NC Council of Churches gave Nichol its Faith Active in Public Life Award; the NC-ACLU named him its W.W. Finlator Award winner; and UNC gave him its Thomas Jefferson Award — the university’s highest faculty honor. In 2014, he received the McCall Teaching Award from UNC School of Law and the University of Colorado’s Joanne Arnold award for courage in defense of civil liberty.
In 2018, he was invited by the faculty of the University of Michigan to give the annual Davis, Markert, Nickerson Academic Freedom Lecture and received UNC’s Wettach Award for research excellence. In 2024 he received the North Carolina Justice Center’s Lifetime Champion of Justice honor. Nichol attended Oklahoma State University, receiving a degree in philosophy and playing varsity football. He obtained his J.D. from the University of Texas, graduating Order of the Coif.
Ian L. Courts
Ian L. Courts is the Justice Reform Counsel at Southern Coalition for Social Justice. Ian has dedicated his legal career to criminal justice reform, and appellate litigation. Ian joined the Southern Coalition for Social Justice in 2024 as Justice System Reform Counsel, where he serves the community in a range of justice-oriented litigation and advocacy projects.
Previously, Ian served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office’s Law Division-Appeals Unit, where he handled a large volume of Commonwealth responses and oral arguments to criminal appeals before Pennsylvania’s Superior and Supreme Courts. He is also an American Constitution Society Next Generation Leader.
In May 2020, Ian received his J.D. from North Carolina Central University School of Law. Ian interned for a number of state and federal judges, including U.S. Magistrate Judge Joe Webster of the United States Middle District of North Carolina, Judge Wanda G. Bryant of the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and Associate Justice Anita Earls of the North Carolina Supreme Court. In 2017, Ian received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Ian has published three law journal articles: “Justice in Black: Judge William H. Hastie’s and Justice Thurgood Marshall’s Fight for an Equalitarian Legal Order” and “Crimes Against Humanity, Apartheid: Its History and the Global Response” in the North Carolina Central Law Journal volume 43, Issue 1 (2020) and volume 44, Issue 2 (2022), respectively, and “The Ratification of the Rome Statute: The Next Step in Establishing an American Equalitarian Legal Order” in the Journal of International Criminal Law, volume 4, Issue 2 (2023).
Previously, Ian served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office’s Law Division-Appeals Unit, where he handled a large volume of Commonwealth responses and oral arguments to criminal appeals before Pennsylvania’s Superior and Supreme Courts. He is also an American Constitution Society Next Generation Leader.
In May 2020, Ian received his J.D. from North Carolina Central University School of Law. Ian interned for a number of state and federal judges, including U.S. Magistrate Judge Joe Webster of the United States Middle District of North Carolina, Judge Wanda G. Bryant of the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and Associate Justice Anita Earls of the North Carolina Supreme Court. In 2017, Ian received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Ian has published three law journal articles: “Justice in Black: Judge William H. Hastie’s and Justice Thurgood Marshall’s Fight for an Equalitarian Legal Order” and “Crimes Against Humanity, Apartheid: Its History and the Global Response” in the North Carolina Central Law Journal volume 43, Issue 1 (2020) and volume 44, Issue 2 (2022), respectively, and “The Ratification of the Rome Statute: The Next Step in Establishing an American Equalitarian Legal Order” in the Journal of International Criminal Law, volume 4, Issue 2 (2023).
Irving L. Joyner
Irving L. Joyner has worked as a professor at the North Carolina Central School of Law since 1982. From 1984 to 1992, he served as the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. Joyner teaches courses in Criminal Law; Criminal Procedure; Civil Rights and Race and the Law. As a member of the faculty, he serves on several law school and university committees. A leading expert on civil rights, race and the law, Joyner was selected as the Charles Hamilton Houston Endowed Chair in 2021.
Recently, he was among the 2023 honorees recognized during Black History Month by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper for his critical work in the legal field and justice system. Joyner has written three editions of his book, Criminal Procedure in North Carolina, which is published by LexisNexis Publishing Company. He regularly prepares annual supplements to that publication. The first edition was published in 1989, the second in 1999 and the third was published in 2006.
Additionally, Joyner has written several articles and manuscripts for continuing legal education programs. Joyner speaks and lectures regularly at legal education, civil rights, political empowerment and educational advancement programs. Joyner provides legal counsel to political, religious and community organizations and to needy individuals in civil rights and criminal appeals cases. He has served on several state study commissions and agencies and in leadership roles with a variety of community groups and organizations.
This service includes a five-year term as the Vice-Chairperson of the 1898 Wilmington Race Riot Commission. He is also a regular legal commentator for local, state, and national media, primarily in the areas of law, politics, civil rights and racial justice. Along with Professor April Dawson, he co-hosts the highly acclaimed show, “Legal Eagle Review,” which is dedicated to a discussion of current local and national legal issues and airs each Sunday evening on WNCU 90.7 FM.In 2004, Joyner was honored as Lawyer of the Year by the George H. White Bar Association, an organization of Black lawyers in Durham County and is a past recipient of the Lawyer of the Year Award by the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers. In 2006, he was honored by NCCU law students as Professor of the Year. Over the years, he has received numerous honors and awards for his work as a professor, a civil rights and criminal law litigator and community and political activist.
Recently, he was among the 2023 honorees recognized during Black History Month by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper for his critical work in the legal field and justice system. Joyner has written three editions of his book, Criminal Procedure in North Carolina, which is published by LexisNexis Publishing Company. He regularly prepares annual supplements to that publication. The first edition was published in 1989, the second in 1999 and the third was published in 2006.
Additionally, Joyner has written several articles and manuscripts for continuing legal education programs. Joyner speaks and lectures regularly at legal education, civil rights, political empowerment and educational advancement programs. Joyner provides legal counsel to political, religious and community organizations and to needy individuals in civil rights and criminal appeals cases. He has served on several state study commissions and agencies and in leadership roles with a variety of community groups and organizations.
This service includes a five-year term as the Vice-Chairperson of the 1898 Wilmington Race Riot Commission. He is also a regular legal commentator for local, state, and national media, primarily in the areas of law, politics, civil rights and racial justice. Along with Professor April Dawson, he co-hosts the highly acclaimed show, “Legal Eagle Review,” which is dedicated to a discussion of current local and national legal issues and airs each Sunday evening on WNCU 90.7 FM.In 2004, Joyner was honored as Lawyer of the Year by the George H. White Bar Association, an organization of Black lawyers in Durham County and is a past recipient of the Lawyer of the Year Award by the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers. In 2006, he was honored by NCCU law students as Professor of the Year. Over the years, he has received numerous honors and awards for his work as a professor, a civil rights and criminal law litigator and community and political activist.
Katelin Kaiser
Katelin Kaiser joined Democracy North Carolina in 2024 as Policy Director. She is dedicated to fighting for accountable, transparent, and participatory multiracial democracy. Katelin has extensive voting rights litigation experience, from challenging racially discriminatory voter ID law in North Carolina to fighting for fair maps in Florida and Texas. She has also represented candidates in election-related state and local administrative hearings.
Outside her work in voting rights, Katelin has experience in criminal appellate advocacy, driver’s license restoration and expunction, consumer protections, estate planning, and farm workers’ rights. She is licensed to practice law in North Carolina. Katelin graduated with honors from North Carolina Central University School of Law, and was the recipient of the Floyd B. McKissick Award for Leadership and Scholarship and the Pro Bono Service Impact Award.
Outside her work in voting rights, Katelin has experience in criminal appellate advocacy, driver’s license restoration and expunction, consumer protections, estate planning, and farm workers’ rights. She is licensed to practice law in North Carolina. Katelin graduated with honors from North Carolina Central University School of Law, and was the recipient of the Floyd B. McKissick Award for Leadership and Scholarship and the Pro Bono Service Impact Award.
Leslie J. Winner
Leslie J. Winner is an attorney with a long career of public service in North Carolina. Winner worked for 16 years as a public interest trial lawyer, serving as lead trial attorney on civil rights cases, including Thornburg v. Gingles, 478 U.S. 30 (1986), which set the standard for proving a violation of §2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended.
During Winner’s three terms in the North Carolina Senate, she served as Majority Whip, Education Committee co-chair, Education Appropriations co-chair, and Judiciary Committee vice-chair. She has also served as Executive Director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, as Vice President and General Counsel of the University of North Carolina, and General Counsel of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education.
Winner is the co-founder of the NC Leadership Forum, an effort to increase constructive engagement across partisan and ideological divides. She has engaged in other civic leadership roles to promote equity, strengthen democracy, reduce poverty, and promote public education. She has received, among other awards, the NC Justice Center’s “Lifetime Champion of Justice” award, the Elon University School of Law’s “Leadership in the Law” award, and NC Foundation for Public School Children’s “Champion of Children” award, and she has been inducted into North Carolina’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Winner received an A.B. from Brown University and a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law.
During Winner’s three terms in the North Carolina Senate, she served as Majority Whip, Education Committee co-chair, Education Appropriations co-chair, and Judiciary Committee vice-chair. She has also served as Executive Director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, as Vice President and General Counsel of the University of North Carolina, and General Counsel of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education.
Winner is the co-founder of the NC Leadership Forum, an effort to increase constructive engagement across partisan and ideological divides. She has engaged in other civic leadership roles to promote equity, strengthen democracy, reduce poverty, and promote public education. She has received, among other awards, the NC Justice Center’s “Lifetime Champion of Justice” award, the Elon University School of Law’s “Leadership in the Law” award, and NC Foundation for Public School Children’s “Champion of Children” award, and she has been inducted into North Carolina’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Winner received an A.B. from Brown University and a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law.
Melissa Price Kromm
Melissa Price Kromm is the Chair and Executive Director of North Carolina For The People and N.C. For The People Action where she has served as the leader of North Carolina’s statewide pro-democracy coalition for the past fifteen years. The coalition coordinates advocacy on structural democracy, voting rights, campaign finance reform, government ethics, and transparency, redistricting reform, judicial independence, protecting dissent, and constitutional crisis prevention.
Price Kromm led efforts to pass campaign finance disclosure reform, voting rights reform, and stop attacks on judicial independence. Price Kromm has led the coalition to stop bills promoting campaign finance secrecy, attacking the freedom to vote, limiting the right to protest, and spearheaded pioneering legislation to prevent election subversion. Before joining, Price Kromm was part of a successful effort to pass same-day voter registration at early voting sites in North Carolina and pre-registration of 16 and 17-year-olds. She is a proud graduate of North Carolina State University and lives in Durham with her husband and three children.
Price Kromm led efforts to pass campaign finance disclosure reform, voting rights reform, and stop attacks on judicial independence. Price Kromm has led the coalition to stop bills promoting campaign finance secrecy, attacking the freedom to vote, limiting the right to protest, and spearheaded pioneering legislation to prevent election subversion. Before joining, Price Kromm was part of a successful effort to pass same-day voter registration at early voting sites in North Carolina and pre-registration of 16 and 17-year-olds. She is a proud graduate of North Carolina State University and lives in Durham with her husband and three children.
Robyn Sanders
Robyn Sanders serves as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in Pennsylvania, specializing in capital and non-capital habeas litigation. From 2022 to 2024, she was counsel with the Brennan Center for Justice’s Democracy Program, focusing on voting rights litigation and policy advocacy. Sanders previously served as a judicial law clerk to Associate Justice Anita Earls of the N.C. Supreme Court. Before attending law school, she worked as a policy analyst for the N.C. Department of Public Safety, contributing to prison safety and security reform, juvenile justice reform, and served as a policy aide for Governor Roy Cooper’s Reentry Council. Sanders earned her J.D. from Campbell Law School in 2021, where she was an editor of the Campbell Law Observer, served on the Executive Board of the Black Law Students Association, worked as a legal writing teaching scholar, and competed on the school’s nationally ranked trial team. As a law student, she earned five “Book Awards” for achieving the highest grade in Constitutional Law II, Employment Discrimination, Race, Justice & American Law, Advanced Legal Writing, and Supreme Court Practice. She also holds a master’s degree with high honors in Public Administration from North Carolina State University, an LL.M. with distinction in International Legal Studies from Nottingham Trent University in England, and a B.A. in Political Science from North Carolina State University.
Rotrina Campbell
Rotrina Campbell is the Organizing Manager at Common Cause, NC. She is a resident of Charlotte, NC. Rotrina works throughout the state of North Carolina to ensure all voices are heard by educating, engaging, and empowering communities across the state through voter education, election protection, webinars, community conversations, and collaborative outreach.
Sailor Jones
Sailor Jones (he/him) is Deputy Director at Common Cause North Carolina, an organization dedicated to building a multi-racial democracy that’s inclusive of all in the Tar Heel State. Prior to joining Common Cause in 2022, Sailor led the pro-voter communications, campaigns, and advocacy efforts for Southern Coalition for Social Justice and Democracy North Carolina. During Sailor’s more than 15 years of experience in social justice spaces in the south, he has served in various roles with other organizations such as Equality NC, the League of Women Voters of NC, NARAL Pro Choice NC, NC AIDS Action Network, North Carolina for the People, North Carolina Voters for Clean Elections, and the North Carolina NAACP. Sailor is a transgender native of Warren County in rural Northeastern North Carolina — also the birthplace of the nation’s environmental justice movement and the home of the first African-American woman to represent North Carolina in Congress. He is a licensed attorney, and a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and the North Carolina Central University School of Law.
Tara Romano
Tara Romano, she/her, has led Pro-Choice North Carolina since 2016.
Coming to Pro-Choice NC from the broader social justice movement in our state, Tara is committed to connecting abortion and reproductive healthcare to issues of safety, economic justice, racial justice, and gender equity.
Coming to Pro-Choice NC from the broader social justice movement in our state, Tara is committed to connecting abortion and reproductive healthcare to issues of safety, economic justice, racial justice, and gender equity.
Helen Galeas
Helen Galeas is a Policy Organizer at El Pueblo, where she works at the intersection of policy and community organizing to advocate for immigrant rights and social justice. She focuses on legislative tracking, advocacy efforts, and mobilizing community members to take action. Passionate about empowering communities, Helen is dedicated to ensuring that people have the knowledge and resources to navigate policy changes and advocate for their rights. She holds a B.A. in Politics and International Relations from UNC Charlotte.
Shray Shetty
Shray Shetty is a staff attorney at the North Carolina Justice Center, with a focus on civil rights, education, and housing. Prior to that, he worked at Legal Aid of North Carolina as a rural anti-poverty attorney in Morganton, North Carolina, with a focus on domestic violence prevention and eviction diversion. Before entering the legal field, he worked as a community organizer and in state government.