COVID-19 pandemic hits the United States. Breonna Taylor. U.S. unemployment jumps to the highest rate since the Great Depression. George Floyd. Black Lives Matter protests against racial injustices worldwide. West Coast wildfires. Ruth Bader Ginsberg dies. Chadwick Boseman dies at 43 due to colon cancer. Trump loses the presidential bid for a second term. Joe Biden is elected president of the United States. Kamala Harris is elected first Black, Indian vice president of the United States. Widespread, unproven allegations of voter fraud begin to question the validity of the election. Over 500,000 Americans die from COVID-19. Tent cities filled with homeless people surround our cities. The U.S. gives struggling Americans $600 in the midst of an economic crisis. Death penalty reinstated for federal crimes for the first time since 2003. One in five prisoners in the U.S. contract COVID-19. Insurrectionists storm the U.S. Capitol. Trump becomes the first U.S. President to be impeached twice. The list goes on . . .
It’s hard to believe that all of the above-listed events happened within a one-year span. It is as if one day we were all living our regular lives and then tragedy struck. Life as we knew it changed. We could no longer do mundane activities that we once took for granted. All of our past achievements and future aspirations became less important as we were grateful just to be alive. Read more
The American Bar Association hosts Law Day every first Friday of May to celebrate the role of law in our society and to cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal profession. Law Day 2021 will focus on “reminding us that we the people share the responsibility to promote the rule of law, defend liberty, and pursue justice.” The North Carolina Bar Association’s Law Week and Liberty Bell Committee hosts several competitions to recognize students and legal professionals throughout the State that have dedicated their time to pursuing justice and being a voice for all. Please see a list of the competitions below:
Liberty Bell Award: The Liberty Bell award is one of the most prestigious awards a North Carolinian can receive. The award is given to individuals who have made significant contributions or exemplify lifelong service to the law in North Carolina. Past recipients have included prominent lawyers, judges, and legislators.
McIntyre Award: The McIntyre Youth Leadership Challenge allows middle school and high school students to develop plans to help their communities and share them through public speaking on citizenship.
Essay Competition: The Law Day Essay Contest is a fun and challenging experience for North Carolina students in sixth through 12th grade and an opportunity for their respective schools to participate in Law Day.
Poster Competition: The Law Day Poster Art Contest is a fun and challenging experience for North Carolina students in 3rd-5th grade and an opportunity for their respective schools to participate in Law Day.
Moot Court Competition: The Moot Court Competition brings together middle and high school students for a chance to take on real-life legal scenarios to showcase their preparation, logical reasoning, and oral skills. These students argue in front of volunteer attorneys, and those who reach the final round have a chance to present their argument to the N.C. Supreme Court Justice and Court of Appeals Judges.
Please join us in celebrating these public officials, attorneys, and students who continue to strive to make a difference in our State on Friday, May 7 at 12:30 p.m.! Please RSVP here to join the event.
You are excited to graduate, to pass the bar, and to be sworn in as a licensed attorney in North Carolina, but did you know there are requirements other than passing the bar and getting sworn in?
Although this information is readily available on a variety of websites, finding the answers to questions may be overwhelming for a newly licensed attorney.
Below is a quick preview of organizations you will be required or recommended to join and information on dues that must be paid. Read more
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00NCBA YLDhttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngNCBA YLD2021-04-21 15:34:232021-04-21 15:34:23An Overview of Bar Organizations and Dues Requirements
Legal LINK is a subcommittee of the NCBA Young Lawyers Division. Traditionally, our program arranges for legal professionals to visit local high schools and share information about the legal profession with underrepresented youth. Specifically, we share information about the four building blocks of the LINK program: leadership, information, networking and knowledge.
However, like so many programs throughout our communities, we are no longer able to go in person due to the pandemic. As a result, we had to find ways to adapt to the safety needs of our community while remaining true to our mission. We did this by offering the same program through a virtual format. This opened the amount of opportunities we could explore, and on March 12, we had our first virtual conversation with Person Early College. We could not be prouder of the results!
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00NCBA YLDhttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngNCBA YLD2021-04-14 15:41:312021-04-14 15:54:33A Conversation with Person Early College: Legal LINK’s First Virtual Panel!
Today is your first birthday! In some ways, it was typical: a colorful cake and a few gifts you opened and then happily ignored while you played with the boxes. In other ways, it was not at all typical. There was no big gathering to share in your joy. No baptism at church. No trip to the park to celebrate with friends.
It was just us, at home, loving you within the confines of these four walls. As we have done day after day after day.
Your nursery is decorated with globes and maps and signs reminding you that “adventure is waiting for you, little one.” From the moment you were born, I have anticipated traveling the world with you, seeing each new experience through your precious eyes.
The COVID-19 pandemic has clarified many significant issues that impact each of us not only as legal professionals, but as members of a global community. These authors gave voice to unique perspectives within that community. Their pieces address the challenges of pandemic parenthood, cry out for social justice, and offer a dream of a future with greater environmental stewardship. We hope these pieces prompt you to reflect on our shared experience of living during this unusual time.
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00NCBA YLDhttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngNCBA YLD2021-03-29 11:31:012021-03-31 11:26:32The NCBA YLD Announces the Winners of the 2021 Writing Competition
The YLD’s Law Week and Liberty Bell Committee is gearing up for the 2021 Law Day on Friday, May 7, 2021. This year’s Law Day theme is “Advancing the Rule of Law Now.” Please be on the lookout for updates on the virtual luncheon. The committee hosted its first virtual Moot Court Competition on Saturday, March 20, and selected four deserving students to move forward to the final round being held at 11 a.m. on Law Day. The committee also hosts multiple other competitions and will be selecting winners for those this month. Finally, the committee will also select the recipient of the prestigious Liberty Bell Award. The winners of these competitions and the recipient of the Liberty Bell Award will be announced during the Law Day virtual ceremony on May 7. Read more
I would like to thank the North Carolina Bar Association Government & Public Sector Section for awarding me with a $500 scholarship to supplement my living expenses during my internship with the Wake County District Attorney’s Office. I applied for the scholarship this past summer by submitting my resume and a cover letter about my passion for public service.
I strive to live a life of service and make a difference. That goal is why I joined the North Carolina Army National Guard in high school. While attending East Carolina University, I followed my passion for service by striving to embody the university motto of “Servire” – “To Serve” – through various service roles within the Student Government Association and the Student Conduct Board. In my first year as a student representative, I sponsored more legislation than any other member, which led to positive changes in my community, ranging from healthier options at the dining hall to the installation of a crosswalk at a local intersection. I continued to serve in law school as the NCBA Student Representative and vice president, managing partner for the Veterans Pro Bono Project, and editor in chief of the Campbell Law Observer. As the managing partner for the Veterans Pro Bono Project, I led the transition from a project that lacked direction and opportunities to a project now approved by the faculty and Dean to provide pro bono discharge upgrade services.
The NCBA YLD Grab a Coffee (GaC) Program went virtual this year. With more than one hundred attorney and law student matches, we had one of the most successful years of the program. Attorneys and law students were matched primarily based on practice areas and geographical location. The pairs scheduled their meetings using the software of their choice, at the time and date that worked best for them. We also included a feedback survey to guide our efforts in improving GaC for the years to come. We are proud of how well GaC took off this year, and we look forward to seeing it grow in the future.
Hear from two participants in the program, attorney Joshua Richardson and Wake Forest School of Law student Grace Koppenheffer, who share more about their individual GaC experiences below. Joshua and Grace were paired separately and both had a wonderful experience.
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00NCBA YLDhttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngNCBA YLD2021-03-11 11:24:502021-03-11 12:03:59The Grab a Coffee Program – A Successful Year
When I think of a classic definition of “diverse,” I think of someone who differs from those around her. As a Native attorney, that definition has applied to my experience. I have never practiced with another Native attorney. I have only ever encountered one Native attorney while representing my client — a personal injury attorney who was representing an adverse party. There are no Native attorneys in any of the industry-specific trade organizations to which I belong. So, I do consider myself a diverse attorney and I have placed an emphasis on building bridges with those who are different from me.
By 
By 
By