If you had asked them as college students, neither Tom Murry nor Chris Freeman would have told you that they planned on being lawyers one day — let alone appellate judges. The former was a pharmacy major; the latter pre-med. But if you had asked them if they planned on serving their community, you would have received a quick affirmative. While their career goals have changed significantly over time, their commitment to service has remained steadfast.

On June 3, North Carolina’s newest appellate judges engaged in a “fireside chat” with members of the NCBA’s Appellate Practice Section. They shared insights about their career paths, their judicial chambers, and their tips for appellate practitioners. Above all, they emphasized the great honor and privilege they felt for the opportunity to serve the state, its people, and the rule of law in this new capacity.

Both jurists served in several local offices before running statewide. Judge Murry was a Morrisville Town Councilman, then General Assembly Representative, then Assistant District Attorney, while Judge Freeman was an Assistant District Attorney, then District Court judge. Both judges have also served their country in the JAG Corps: Judge Murry in the National Guard, Judge Freeman in the Air Force.

Left to right: James Whalen, Judge Christopher Freeman, Judge Thomas Murry, and Michelle Liguori. Whalen and Liguori moderated the fireside chat, which was held on June 3.

These local experiences naturally inform their appellate approach. For Judge Murry, time as a state legislator provided an inside look into how the statutory sausage gets made. Knowing that the waters of “legislative intent” can be murky, he now only wades into them when the statute’s meaning cannot be found by the plain text alone. For Judge Freeman, a decade on the district court bench taught the importance of clear guidance on remand. Now, he writes his opinions with the trial court judge in mind, seeking to give them an unambiguous roadmap of the correct path.

Judges Murry and Freeman also emphasized the unique role of appellate practitioners both in case-specific advocacy and in shaping the broader legal landscape. At a court with such a high volume of important cases, a thoughtful appellate lawyer — especially amicus counsel providing a unique perspective — can help a new appellate judge cut through the feet-high stacks of briefs and home in on the most important issues. More broadly, appellate lawyers who engage formally or informally with the Appellate Rules process help the appellate bar and courts to iron out the wrinkles of a still-developing area of our state’s jurisprudence.

Reflecting on their recent election, Judges Murry and Freeman expressed their great honor in the trust bestowed upon them by North Carolinians from Murphy to Manteo. They noted that their eight-year terms allow them to balance judicial independence with accountability to the people who put them on the appellate bench. And while neither judge would have predicted this career path, both feel blessed to have the opportunity to continue to serve the state in this new, heightened capacity.

June 23, 2025/by Appellate