The Justice Institute (JI)

The Justice Institute

The Justice Institute (JI) is a community research initiative of the North Carolina Central University School of Law.

The mission of the JI 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 JI 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.

Justice Institute Launch Gala

Render of the Justice Statue

Committed to Working Together

The Justice Institute (JI) 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.

a field of multi-colored clenched fists pointing upwards

About the Gala Speaker

The speaker for the gala was Irving L. Joyner, who has worked as a professor at the NCCU School of Law since 1982. From 1984 to 1992, he served as the associate dean of the NCCU School of Law. 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 N.C. Governor Roy Cooper for his critical work in the legal field and justice system.

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.

food serving

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.