Margaux Lander is an investigator and social worker dedicated to improving the representation of parents in North Carolina. With a background in investigating criminal and death penalty cases, she applies her expertise to parent defense, offering a holistic and client-centered approach to legal representation. Beyond her work with parents’ legal teams, Margaux actively engages in movement-building efforts to raise awareness and challenge systemic inequities within the system. At Carolina Parent Defenders, she manages our early defense program, supporting parents during CPS investigations. She also leads education workshops to service providers. Before joining Carolina Parent Defenders & Emancipate NC, Margaux worked as an Investigator at Still She Rises, a holistic, indigent defense organization that provides legal representation to mothers in the criminal legal and child welfare systems. Margaux’s previous experience includes four years on the capital defense team representing Ammar al Baluchi in the U.S. Military Commissions at Guantánamo Bay. Margaux holds a master’s from SOAS University of London in Gender Studies and holds an undergraduate degree in both Religious Studies and International Relations from American University.