This May we are celebrating the National Mental Health Month with the purpose of raising awareness of behavioral health issues reducing the stigma that has always been around emotional wellbeing. As youth defenders, you are probably the last hope to youth who find themselves lost in the legal system. Your role demands not only legal expertise but also exposure to traumatic experiences that might require a high level of empathy and resilience. However, the intense emotional a

Happy Friday, Defenders! Welcome back to Case Law Corner. If you noticed that it’s been a little longer than usual since our last case...

North Carolina District 7 Chief Public Defender Tonza D. Ruffin Last month, the United States celebrated the National Black History Month forcing attention to the contributions of African Americans to the country. To honor black leaders in our community and because we’re also celebrating Women’s History Month this March, OJD wanted to share more about Black Youth Defender Women in North Carolina. For this blog post, I was happy to speak with Tonza D. Ruffin and learn more abo