Stepping Into Truth: Conversations on Social Justice and How We Get Free
Society & Culture
Drew Willey
Imagine going to law school with the intention of becoming a tax attorney and then doing an internship with the Texas Innocence Project and completely scrapping your previous plan. Meet Drew Willey.
Some time back I was fortunate to be in a group studying Joel Goza's book, America's Unholy Ghosts with Drew Willey. Drew and his wife Jessica founded Restoring Justice to provide needed legal services to the indigent population of Houston.
How Drew went from studying to be a tax attorney to fighting for the rights of those caught in the legal system and most in need of help is itself fascinating. But even more interesting is what Drew has to share about how the system actually works, what the needs of his clients and so many others, actually are, and ways that we call can be of help.
That our criminal justice system is broken is not news. What most of us don't know are the specific ways in which the rights of individuals are violated every day. Drew and his dedicated team are modeling ways to restore justice that we can replicate and expand upon.
I left this conversation with Drew both angry at the system and encouraged and inspired by the work that the people at Restoring Justice are doing each day.
Have a listen and then pass this conversation along and, if you can, take Drew's action suggestions and let's make the difference we can.
For a written transcript of this conversation go here.
About Drew:
Alongside his wife, Jessica, Drew Willey founded Restoring Justice. Drew left a career as an accountant to attend law school at the University of Houston Law Center. An internship with the Texas Innocence Network showed him firsthand how the legal system dehumanizes poor people, people of color, and those with mental health conditions.
Drew became a criminal defense attorney, primarily working on representation of the indigent. This work eventually led Drew to found Restoring Justice to not only provide high-quality, holistic counsel to those who need it the most, but also find ways to expose, disrupt, and fix the systemic racism and discrimination in our criminal justice system.
Drew’s work as a public defender and as the founder of Restoring Justice has been featured in publications like The New York Times, Texas Monthly, Texas Tribune, and the Houston Chronicle.
Connect with Drew and the Restoring Justice
Restoring Justice
Talking with Ocean Activist Tharaka Sriram
Talking with author and editor Krishan Trotman
Talking with Philanthropist & Activist Xander Schultz
Talking with Iranian Born Activist Ari Honarvar
Talking with Author & Activist Joel Edward Goza
Ruby Smith Diaz on Anti-Oppression, Body Positivity & More
Talking with Author and Activist Anjali Enjeti
Talking with The Politics of Trauma author Staci K. Haines
Talking Combatting Anti Asian Racism and More w/ Activist & Organizer Grace Pai
Talking Tomboys, Racism, and Busting Gender Norms with Lisa Selin Davis
Talking Elevating the Voices of Girls and Young Women w/ Writer & Actress Kim Sykes
Talking Fighting & Winning a ”Qualified Immunity” Defense w/ Attorney Christopher Brown
Talking Shifting Rape Culture & Bringing Agency to Survivors with Nikki Patin
Talking Using Art to Build Bridges Across Racial Lines with Monique Davis
Talking about Dismantling White Supremacy and Cross Stitching (yeah they‘re connected) w/ Shannon Downey
Talking Public Health and Systemic Racism with Public Health Professional & Educator Nicole Vick
Conversations During a Pandemic: Talking with Futurist Chet W. Sisk about, well, the future
Conversations During a Pandemic: Talking with Craftivism author Betsy Greer
Conversations During a Pandemic: Talking with Political Operative Arnetia Fogg Dupree
Talking with Run For Something Co-Founder Amanda Litman
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