Nicole Dozier

Nicole Dozier joined the NC Justice Center in 1996 in the role of Senior Litigation Paralegal-Hyatt Coordinator of the Hyatt project for Class Counsel after having worked for seven years as a disability specialist with the Social Security Administration’s state agency. This class action, Hyatt v. Barnhart, of over 144,000 individuals was brought against the Social Security Administration. Nicole’s work has helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits for people in North Carolina living with disabilities. She has also worked with Justice Center litigators on consumer class actions and other impact litigation.

In 2007, Nicole became the Assistant Project Director of the Health Advocacy Project, spearheading the effort to keep organizations and individuals engaged around health care reform by holding community forums and presenting at meetings and events across the state. Nicole became a Co-Director of the project in 2014 and sole Director in 2016. Nicole received a BA in industrial relations with a sociology concentration from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1988, pledged Delta Sigma Theta in 1987,  and is featured in the university’s Women with Moxie Oral History Project. Nicole has been a North Carolina State Bar certified paralegal for over 16 years and active for 24 years with the NC Advocates for Justice who named her Disability Advocacy Section Lifetime Achievement Award recipient in 2012.

Nicole retired as Apex Mayor Pro Tempore in December 2021, where she championed initiatives and projects around public engagement, equity, and inclusion.

Nicole’s recent recognition includes:

NC’s highest honor: The Order of the Long Leaf Pine (Governor Cooper), Cary Magazine’s Women of Western Wake, National Coalition of 100 Black Women Policy Award, and NC AIDS Action Network Advocate of the Year.

Over the years, Nicole has served on numerous committees and boards and is currently active with the NC Black Alliance.

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