The Justice Institute (TJI)

The Justice Institute

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

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

Render of the Justice Statue

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.

People networking at a Criminal Justice event

TJI Upcoming Events

The Justice Institute (TJI) is hosting an event on March 28, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Durham County Main Library on Roxboro Street to connect community members with non-profits with programs and resources to meet legal needs. In the main auditorium, there will panel speakers on the current state of the constitution, immigration enforcement and community preparedness, and restorative justice in Durham.

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.

Durham Mural

The Hayti Restorative Justice Report

The Hayti Restorative Justice Report explores the challenges of Durham’s Hayti community.