About Josephine

Everyone deserves equal access to justice.  As an attorney with more than 15 years of criminal and civil law experience, Josephine Davis has had the privilege of serving the people of North Carolina.  Josephine began her career at the Landloss Prevention Project, working alongside attorneys representing minority farmers unfairly discriminated against by the federal government.  As a licensed attorney, she had the privilege working for the Center for Death Penalty Litigation, researching case law for attorneys committed to representing men and women sentenced to death.  Whether in her role as an Assistant Attorney General in the Labor and Environmental Sections with the North Carolina Department of Justice or through her work as a quasi-judicial official with the Employment Security Commission, Josephine recognized that the system is only as effective as its unbiased, truth-seeking players.  

As a criminal defense attorney Josephine was faced with the unforgiving reality that the criminal justice system is overpopulated with people of color, people who lack financial means, those afflicted with substance abuse issues and those suffering from mental health challenges.  As an Assistant Public Defender in Fayetteville, NC, she represented impoverished men and women charged with both misdemeanor and felony offenses.    Afterwards, Josephine continued to serve her community as an Assistant District Attorney in Durham.  In this role, she works to ensure that our county is a desirable and safer place to work and live.  To this end, she seeks justice which means firm but fair sentences for people convicted of violent crimes, but also opportunities for those with first-time and nonviolent convictions to successfully reintegrate back into the community. 

Over the years, Josephine has been guided by the words of Dr. Maya Angelou, ‘I come as one, but I stand as 10,000.’  Josephine is a product of Durham Public Schools, a graduate of North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, a graduate of North Carolina Central University School of Law, an assistant public defender, a prosecutor, an Assistant Attorney General, a mother, and a wife.   She carries all these experiences with her on her search for truth and justice – standing on the shoulders of women and men who have fought for justice before her. There is no one solution to resolve the fragments of our justice system. Still, without question, all judges must not only know the law, but also be steered by compassion and fairness. 

On November 6, 2018, join Josephine in her commitment to equitable and fair access to justice for all.