The Justice Institute
The Justice Institute (TJI) is a community research initiative of the North Carolina Central University School of Law.
The Justice Institute (TJI)
The Mission
The mission of the TJI is to address systemic racism and other forms of inequality through interdisciplinary problem solving that addresses the legacy of racial injustice and advances a just and prosperous society for all people.
About the Justice Institute
The TJI was established in 2022 to address systemic racism and other forms of inequality through interdisciplinary problem-solving that addresses the legacy of racial injustice and advances a just and prosperous society for all people.
The Justice Institute (TJI) in the Community
Committed to Working Together
The Justice Institute (TJI) hosted its official launch gala on April 15, 2023. The gala brought together city, state and community leaders, elected officials, social justice advocates and legal experts committed to working together to advance civil rights and racial and social justice. In preparation for this event, TJI gathered community members to engage in a restorative justice process to consider the history and future of development in the historically black Hayti community.
TJI Upcoming Events
The North Carolina Association of Public Defenders, the Justice Institute at NCCU, and the George H. White Bar Association are hosting an event on June 19, 2026, from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the NCCU Student Center in Durham to celebrate Juneteenth. Centered on the theme “From Freedom to the Bar,” the program honors the legacy of Black lawyers in North Carolina. In-person attendees will reflect on community heritage, the struggle to protect families, and the ongoing mission to uphold the Constitution in courtrooms across the state.
Community Legal Advocacy
The Justice Institute focuses its community legal advocacy on issues of housing and is assisting other non-profits with issues such as environmental justice, land-loss, domestic violence, criminal justice debt, and driver's license restoration.
The Poverty Research Project
The Poverty Research Project explores the challenges of economic hardship in North Carolina. The research is non-partisan and interdisciplinary to study, document, and advocate for proposals, policies and services to mitigate poverty in North Carolina.
The Hayti Restorative Justice Report
The Hayti Restorative Justice Report explores the challenges of Durham’s Hayti community.
Contact the Justice Institute
640 Nelson Street
Durham, NC 27707
919-530-7463
[email protected]