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As the Director for the Center for Holistic Defense, Lauren (she/her/hers) oversees the provision of in-depth technical assistance to public defender offices, individual advocates, policymakers, and others who are committed to adopting a holistic approach to public defense in their practice. After receiving her M.S.W. from Columbia University, Lauren joined The Bronx Defenders as a social worker in the Criminal Defense Practice. In her five-year tenure she served as a staff social worker, helped develop the Adolescent Defense Project, and supervised social workers in the Criminal Defense Practice. In 2019, Lauren opened Harris Mitigation, a federal mitigation practice serving clients charged in the Southern and Eastern districts of New York with a broad range of cases from federal homicides to low-level drug offenses and financial crimes. In every case, Lauren brings a holistic defense model to her representation of clients and attorney collaborations. Prior to receiving her M.S.W., Lauren was an Associate Editor at Blender and her work appeared in Time Out New York, Nylon, Filter and other publications. Lauren holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Journalism from New York University.