Privacy Rights of Children in the Digital Age

By Michelle FormyDuval Lynch

Do children have a right to privacy? Yes, but those rights are not always clearly defined and often depend on the actions of the parents. This is especially so in the digital age, where a picture can be shared with millions of people almost immediately.  A recent opinion by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals illustrates how privacy rights of children may be an afterthought, and when the child realizes their privacy has been invaded, there may be little or no recourse.

Before the internet became open to the public in 1993, and social media came into widespread use in the early 2000s, no one worried about pictures being shared, much less about photos or videos going “viral.” Generally, pictures stayed in the family album or wallet.

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A Letter to My Younger Self

By Chazle’ N. Woodley

Dear New Associate,

You finished law school, studied for the bar exam, passed the bar exam, and now you’re about to embark on your journey as an attorney!

Congratulations! You did it, and now you’re about to engage in doing the work of a real lawyer. You’re probably feeling a flood of emotions: excited, eager, nervous, curious, and maybe even worried about what’s to come.

As an attorney who recently wrapped up my first year of practice, I am eager to share what I’ve learned in my first year as an associate in the hopes that it will alleviate stress and help you feel prepared for what’s to come. Read more

Searching for Volunteers for the Grab-a-Coffee Program: Spring 2024

Alex Gwynn is a Black woman with black hair and brown eyes. She is wearing a red and white shirt, black glasses, and dark jacket.Will, a white man with brown hair, wears a white shirt, blue and yellow striped tie, and black suit.Matt, a white man with brown hair, wears a pale blue shirt, grey suit, and mint green tie.By Alex Gwynn, Matt Meinel and Will Robertson

Do you have time to grab a cup of coffee? Instead of taking this one to go, how about spending thirty meaningful minutes with a future lawyer?

A half hour of your time is all we need to make this program a success! We are seeking attorney volunteers to connect with a law student and pass on the valuable insights you have about succeeding in law school and entering the practice of law. If you would like to volunteer, please fill out this attorney sign-up form. Law students can sign up with this student sign-up form. If you have signed up during a previous GaC session, you will need to sign up again.

GaC is a statewide program that pairs law students with practicing attorneys based on their practice area(s) of interest. Discussion topics may include:

  • what it is like to practice in your current area of law;

  • the path you took to get where you are; and

  • general advice on law school or the first year in practice.

The program is meant to be an informal, one-time, thirty-minute meeting. Attorneys and students have the option of meeting virtually or in person.

Sign-ups close on February 9. Volunteers will be notified by email with more information once they are paired with a law student.

To learn more about the Grab-a-Coffee program, check out this blog post and short YouTube video from prior participants in the program.

We look forward to a successful spring of networking!

Alex Gwynn and Will Robertson serve as co-chairs of the NCBA YLD Law Student Outreach Committee. Matt Meinel serves as the administrator of the NCBA Grab-a-Coffee Program. 

Volunteer to Prepare Expunction Petitions Remotely

By Rachel Royal 

On March 9, 2024, the Charlotte Expunction Clinic will again be held at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse. This project is a partnership of the following organizations: the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy (the “Advocacy Center”), the SelfServe Center, and the Mecklenburg County Clerk of Superior Court’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, and Public Defender’s Office. During the clinics, volunteer public defenders offer advice to applicants regarding their eligibility for expunction relief under North Carolina law.

The project has held seven prior clinics since 2019. Since August 2021, paralegals have been utilized to review criminal records and attorney analysis forms and to prepare petitions for attorney review.

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Checking In: January 23, 2024

Advocate Health Adds Associate General Counsel Attorney

Michael, a white man with brown hair, wears a blue and white checkered shirt and a grey suit.Michael Berwanger has joined Advocate Health as associate general counsel. Berwanger has experience in value-based care, managed care, privacy and data security and other health care regulatory matters. He previously held the role of vice president of compliance and legal affairs at CHESS Health Solutions since June 2019, where he served as corporate secretary. Prior to this role, Berwanger was director of quality management and compliance at MedCost LLC. Berwanger serves as the Communications Chair of the NCBA Health Law Section. He holds a J.D. from the New England School of Law and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is certified by the Health Care Compliance Association in Health Care Privacy.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP Elevates Medlin to  Counsel

Lyndsay, a white woman with auburn hair, wears a green blouse and black jacket.Lyndsay Medlin was promoted to counsel. Medlin has practiced with the firm for eight years. She helps clients in the areas of litigation, investigation and compliance needs, and she also offers counsel to clients in matters of privacy and cybersecurity. In 2017, she was inducted into the North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society. Medlin serves as a volunteer with the Humane Society of Charlotte. She graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she was the articles development editor for Virginia Sports and Entertainment Law Journal. She holds a B.A., cum laude, from Duke University.

Cranfill Sumner LLP Names New Partners

Ryan, a white man with brown hair, wears a white and blue checkered shirt, a blue tie, and a navy jacket.Ryan Bostic, who practices in the firm’s Wilmington office, has been named a partner with the firm. Bostic is a litigation attorney focusing on high exposure personal injury matters, which include wrongful death, catastrophic injury, and sexual abuse cases. Bostic defends licensed professionals against claims of professional negligence and malpractice. He has served as outside council on behalf of local governments, and he also practices community association law. He received his J.D. from Appalachian School of Law and his bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University. Read more

Pro Bono Spotlight: McGuireWoods and Wells Fargo Wills for Warriors Project

By Kaitlyn Fudge

Home to Fort Liberty and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina has more veterans than most states. For the last five years, McGuireWoods, Wells Fargo, and Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy (CCLA) have teamed up to serve this community through an estate planning pro bono clinic called “Wills for Warriors.”

The annual clinic, which takes place around Veterans Day, is a one-stop shop where veterans meet attorney and legal professional volunteers from McGuireWoods and Wells Fargo to discuss their goals and leave with needed estate planning documents such as wills, power of attorney forms, and health care power of attorney forms.

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Voices of Democracy: Law Day 2024

Sidney, a Black woman with black hair, wears a white blouse, black jacket and glasses.By Sidney Thomas and Nicholas Sorensen

The American Bar Association hosts Law Day each year on the first Friday in May to celebrate the role of law in our society and to cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal profession. Law Day 2024 will focus on “democracy and encouraging Americans to participate in the 2024 elections by deepening their understanding of the electoral process; discussing issues in honest and civil ways; turning out to vote; and, finally, helping to move the country forward after free and fair election.” The North Carolina Bar Association’s Law Week and Liberty Bell Committee hosts several competitions to recognize students and legal professionals throughout the State who have dedicated their time to pursuing justice and being a voice for all. The committee is excited to announce that we will be hosting this year’s celebration on Friday, May 3, 2024. Please see a list of competitions for students and legal professionals below. Read more

The Privilege of Doing Business

Fred, a man with brown hair, wears a pale blue shirt, red and black striped tie, and a black suit.By Fred Moreno

For decades, North Carolina citizens have had the opportunity to work in several different industries and practices. Certain dealings require that person to first obtain a professional license. This is typically done by passing an exam and satisfying certain education or training requirements. Once all required conditions are completed to obtain a required professional license, the North Carolina citizen is well on their way to pursue success in their chosen field. However, it is typically soon after obtaining such a license that the person is first introduced to the North Carolina Privilege Tax. The North Carolina Privilege Tax is a tax imposed for the purpose of “carrying on the business, exercising the privilege, or doing the act named.”[1] This tax is required to be paid on an annual basis at a cost of $50. Most professional licensees regulated by occupational licensing boards qualify as individuals subject to the annual North Carolina Privilege Tax. This includes veterinarians, physicians, real estate brokers, real estate appraisers, funeral directors, certified public accountants, etc.

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My Summer Internship

Suzanne Camp, a woman with straight, long light brown hair, wears a white blouse and black jacket.By Suzanne Camp

This past summer, I interned with the Environmental Division of the North Carolina Department of Justice (NCDOJ). Within the Environmental Division, I worked in the Coastal, Commissions and Administrative Section. I had a wonderful experience and learned a great amount. During my summer internship, I had the opportunity to attend a variety of North Carolina board and commission meetings including the Coastal Resources Commission, the Sedimentation Control Commission, the State Water Infrastructure Authority, and the Water Treatment Facility Operator Certification Board. It was fascinating being able to learn about the intricacies of how these groups operate and make decisions that affect our community. A great deal of my work involved drafting final agency decisions for the North Carolina Department of Justice that explained the legal rationale for a commission outcome. In these final agency decisions, I acknowledged the arguments made by the petitioner to the commission as well as the Department of Environmental Quality, and, ultimately, came to the correct legal conclusion in accordance with the Commissioners’ decision. I also worked on tracking legislative bill updates during the North Carolina congressional long summer session. Specifically, I monitored changes relating to the NCDOJ’s Environmental Division and updated my team accordingly. Moreover, I analyzed case law shellfish leases, riparian rights, and language that constitutes a frivolous claim.

Furthermore, the internship provided interesting opportunities to engage with the community and different parts of state government and branches. For example, interns had a few occasions to attend and watch the oral arguments in front of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Additionally, we had opportunities to take a tour of the Central Prison, the State Archives, the State Crime Lab, and more.

The Zoning, Planning, and Land Use Section Scholarship allowed me to cover more of my living expenses during the summer since the internship was unpaid. I was able to travel to visit my family for a weekend over the summer, which became affordable with this scholarship.

I was very grateful for the North Carolina Bar Association Zoning, Planning, and Land Use Section’s generosity.

I am not entirely sure of my career plans for after law school, but I would love to work in a field of law that relates to the natural environment. Specifically, I am very interested in land use and natural resources.

Insurance Law Section Annual CLE: Friday, January 26, 2024

ByNikki, a Black woman with black hair, wears a pale pink blouse and a black jacket. Nikki Feliciano 

The Insurance Law Section’s annual CLE is almost here! The CLE is scheduled for January 26, 2024, at the Bar Center in Cary, North Carolina. The six-hour CLE will cover interesting insurance topics such as uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, a stimulated mock mediation addressing insurance topics, and an interactive mental health segment. The Insurance Law Section appreciates its CLE Committee and the hard work and time invested by the Committee to develop a great CLE for us. For those who are unable to attend the CLE in person, a remote option will be provided. If you have not registered yet, we hope you register today!

In conjunction with the CLE, the Insurance Law Section is encouraging all of its members to attend the Annual Meeting on January 25, 2024, at the Bar Center in Cary and for members and nonmembers to enjoy a networking event after the Annual Meeting. The networking event will also be held at the Bar Center, with food and drinks provided for all attendees. The Insurance Law Section will invite the CLE speakers to join us for the networking event so that attendees can also have an opportunity to meet and engage with the speakers. We hope everyone will attend the Annual Meeting and the networking event!

We strongly encourage in-person attendance for the Annual Meeting and CLE, as we recapture the comradery that we enjoyed pre-covid. Sign-up today!