Parent Defender Wendy Sotolongo has been honored by North Carolina Lawyer's Weekly by being named in the Power List for her work in public interest law. The Power List honors lawyers in their practice area and Sotolongo is well known for providing and promoting high quality legal representation for parents affected by the child welfare system. The Office of Indigent Defense Services also handles the appeals in child welfare cases and assigns them to appellate attorneys. 

Sotolongo says knew in law school she wanted to be a public interest lawyer, and since receiving her law degree from the UNC School of Law in 1987, she has practiced as an agency attorney, a solo practitioner and as a Guardian ad Litem attorney advocate.

The designation to the Power List is a result of peer nomination which recognizes top lawyers whose expertise, accomplishments and professionalism are well acknowledged within North Carolina’s legal community.