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Inspired to become a lawyer by civil rights icon and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, Judge Harris recognizes the importance of equal access to justice and the power lawyers and judges have in shaping our criminal justice system. Equally inspired by Constance Baker Motley and Dovey Johnson Roundtree, she unapologetically challenges systems of racism, sexism and classism.
Judge Harris began her legal career as a Public Defender in Louisiana, first in Orleans Parish then in Calcasieu Parish, where she handled hundreds of cases and became a highly-respected advocate and familiar face in the halls of the Orleans and Calcasieu Parish Criminal District Courts.
As a Public Defender, Judge Harris made it her priority to help her clients hold onto their dignity while they navigated through the criminal court system.
Judge Harris has a wide array of experience litigating both civil and criminal cases. As Assistant Counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Judge Harris’ advocacy focused on capital defense, juvenile life without the possibility of parole, and felon disenfranchisement. She also served as a Staff Attorney with the ACLU’s Capital Punishment Project.
Through those experiences, Judge Harris fought to change the criminal court system through appellate and impact litigation. As Senior Legal Counsel with the Justice Collaborative and throughout her career, she worked with community organizers, stakeholders and grassroots organizations to hold public officials accountable in an effort to implement criminal justice reform and build healthier and safer communities.
Her first term in Section L expanded that perspective. Presiding over a courtroom requires attention not only to individual cases, but also to the processes, systems, and relationships that determine whether the court functions fairly and effectively. Judge Harris has focused on maintaining clear and consistent courtroom practices, strengthening appropriate connections to community resources, and supporting collaboration where it can improve outcomes without compromising the court’s impartial role.
As she enters another six years of service, Judge Harris is building on what she has learned from the bench and continuing to examine where stronger processes, greater coordination, and practical solutions can improve the experience of those who interact with the court.
Judge Harris came to the bench after years of representing people navigating the criminal legal system, first as a public defender and later through civil rights advocacy. That experience gave her a close view of how courtroom decisions affect victims, defendants, families, attorneys, and communities, and it continues to shape how she approaches the responsibility of judicial service.