ABOUT

Nadine Tebeh Graves is a Minnesota native (daughter of Liberian immigrants) and a graduate of, an 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 2023 Bush Fellow and is currently the Deputy Director of Community Legal Services at the Legal Rights Center located in Minneapolis, MN. 

Nadine is a former Hennepin County Public Defender who has represented hundreds of people charged with criminal offenses ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. She previously represented parents subjected to child protection cases, as well as residents facing evictions in Housing Court, on Hennepin County's Adult Representation Services Unit. 

Outside of the courtroom, Nadine served as the board chair and board member of the Minnesota non-profit, We Are Criminals, an organization dedicated to challenging society’s perceptions of what it means to be “criminal.” In 2021 Nadine was appointed as an Advisory Board member for Minnesota's first-ever Conviction Review Unit. 

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 indigent 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, active in her faith community, and a mother of two amazing boys.

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