About Me

Nadine Graves is a Minnesota native  (daughter of Liberian immigrants) and a graduate of, a HBCU, Delaware State University, where she earned a BA in Sociology and Criminal Justice, and Mitchell Hamline School of Law, where she focused on public interest areas of law. 

Nadine is a public defender who has represented hundreds of people charged with criminal offenses ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. She currently represents parents subjected to child protection cases.  

Outside of the courtroom Nadine is the board chair of a non-profit, We Are Criminals, an organization dedicated to challenging society’s perceptions of what it means to be “criminal.”

Nadine has a long history of working with and advocating for people in need. A significant amount of her experience is in human services assisting underprivileged and underrepresented people of diverse social, ethnic, and economic backgrounds predominately in Minneapolis. 

Nadine’s advocacy isn’t limited to direct service. She is a voice for racial equity and meaningful justice reform too. She has testified at Minnesota’s Second Chance Day on the Hill in support of Ban the Box, expungement reform, and voters’ rights restoration.

Nadine is a public speaker and mother of two amazing boys. 

Nadine created this podcast as a means to expose the invisible impact upon families affected by the criminal justice system.