Transitioning a Practice With Intention

Douglas Wood, a white man with white hair and a beard, wears a white button down shirt, an ivory hat and clear glasses. The beach is behind him. By Douglas J. Wood

Editor’s note: This is the second blog post in a two-part series written by Douglas Wood. The first post is on how to build your practice with intention.

At some point, every lawyer faces a difficult reality: careers evolve, and, eventually, they transition.

For many attorneys, this is not an easy subject to discuss. Lawyers spend decades building reputations, relationships and professional identities closely tied to their practices. Stepping away from that role — even gradually — can feel deeply personal.

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Paralegal Spotlight: Cody Worrells

By Lakisha Chichester

From Airborne to Litigation: How Cody Worrells Learned to Love the Work

Cody, a white man with dark brown hair and a beard, wears a white shirt, yellow tie and blue suit.Cody Worrells did not grow up dreaming of becoming a paralegal, nor did he enter the profession with a carefully mapped-out vision.

One year after starting college, Cody realized school “was not for me” and decided to join the Army instead. When the Army handed him a list of career options, “paralegal” sounded like the least bad choice. The alternatives? Packing parachutes as a rigger or becoming an intelligence analyst.

“The intel stuff sounded boring,” he recalled with a laugh. “The rigger sounded like I’d definitely end up jumping out of a plane. And, as it turned out, I ended up jumping out of planes anyway.” After Airborne school, Cody served with the 82nd Airborne Division. He later served with the 3rd Special Forces Group and 4th Psychological Operations Group as a Staff Sergeant supervising junior paralegals.

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Meet Chimara Good: 2026 NCBA IP Section Diversity Scholarship Recipient

Cherell, a Black woman with black hair, wears a red blouse and black blazer, and she is smiling.By Cherell Harris

A Conversation with an Engineer-Turned-Law Student Charting Her Own Path in IP Law

The Intellectual Property Section of the North Carolina Bar Association is pleased to introduce one of our 2026 Diversity Scholarship recipients, Chimara Good. Chimara is originally from Atlanta, Georgia. I had the pleasure of sitting down with her to learn more about her remarkable journey from the lab bench to law school.

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Pandemic-Era Federal Tax Refunds: You May be Eligible, but the Deadline is Quickly Approaching

Brian, a white man with brown hair, wears a white shirt, navy suit and gold tie.By Brian C. Bernhardt

A recent case in the Court of Federal Claims confirmed taxpayers may be entitled to refunds of interest and penalties paid during the COVID-19 pandemic if they act before a forthcoming deadline. The National Taxpayer Advocate estimates tens of millions of taxpayers may be entitled to refunds. The opportunity includes a wide variety of penalties and interest, but taxpayers must file a claim for refund by July 10, 2026.

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Return to the Vault: On Demand — FinCEN Residential Real Estate Rule Update

By the Return to the Vault Committee

The Return to the Vault logo is shown with a white background and navy font. It reads "Return to the Vault: a program of the Real Property Section." There is a keyhole depicted in the A of "Vault."

Recent developments involving FinCEN’s Residential Real Estate (“RRE”) Rule continue to create uncertainty for real property practitioners. A federal court in Texas vacated the rule nationwide, and FinCEN has since issued additional guidance regarding current reporting obligations.

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How Our Section Communicates: A Quick Guide from the PDS Communications Chair

Lauren, a white woman with blond hair and bangs, wears wire-rimmed glasses, a royal blue blouse and gold necklace.By Lauren Clemmons

This guide provides a practical refresher on the communication tools most commonly used within our Section. Each platform serves a distinct purpose and supports different types of member engagement.

1. Listserv

The Listserv is the primary channel for sharing updates, asking questions and exchanging information. When the platform launched in 2020, Julianne Dambro posted an introductory message titled “Welcome to Your New Privacy and Data Security Platform!” The post, which is available online through the section’s Discussion tab (Welcome to your new Privacy & Data Security platform! | Privacy & Data Security), includes an instruction sheet outlining three options for posting to the forum and remains a clear guide to posting, replying and managing Listserv settings.

The simplest way to post is by emailing [email protected] directly from your NCBA email account.

All Listserv messages are archived on the Privacy & Data Security Community Home page under the “Discussion” tab, with entries dating back to 2020.

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Return to the Vault: On Demand — What Attorneys Can Do About Deed Fraud

Andrea, a white woman with auburn hair, wears a green blouse and black blazer.By Andrea Davis

Check out Andrea’s Return to the Vault presentation on deed fraud. Watch the full program online.

One of the most common red flags for fraud is the sense of urgency that the scammer creates. Unfortunately for real estate attorneys, there is always a sense of urgency in real estate practice. Transactions involve a lot of money changing hands, and there are scammers passionate about taking a share of that cash.

Deed fraud is becoming a real threat, touching nearly every corner of real estate practice. Once thought of as rare or easily detectable, fraudulent conveyances are now more common, more sophisticated and more costly. Fraud schemes encompass a range of activities, including identity theft, falsification of deeds, seller impersonation, elder exploitation and wire fraud. When fraud occurs, the losses are often severe. Fraud-related title claims are more costly than others and often force property owners to spend time and money to recover their homes.

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68th Anniversary of Law Day: “The Rule of Law and the American Dream”

Nicholas, a white man with brown hair, wears a grey shirt, grey and white striped tie, and black blazer.By Nicholas SorensenSidney, a Black woman with black hair, wears a white blouse, black jacket and glasses. and Sidney Thomas 

What is Law Day? Each year, the American Bar Association (ABA) hosts Law Day on the first Friday of May to celebrate the role of law in our society and to cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal profession. President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the first Law Day on May 1, 1958, to provide an opportunity for the nation and legal community to reflect on the vital role law plays in maintaining justice and order, protecting our rights and promoting democracy. In 1961, Congress officially designated May 1 as Law Day as a nationally recognized celebration.

North Carolina celebrates its own Law Day on the first Friday of each May. This year, Governor Josh Stein proclaimed May 1, 2026, as Law Day to all North Carolinians to be a celebration of the rule of law, equality before the law and the enduring principles of liberty and justice that protect the rights and freedoms of all people, encourage civic education and engagement among students and strengthen a free and just society in which every individual has the opportunity to pursue their dreams.

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Building a Practice With Intention

Douglas Wood, a white man with white hair and a beard, wears a white button down shirt, an ivory hat and clear glasses. The beach is behind him. By Douglas J. Wood

Editor’s note: This is the first blog post in a two-part series written by Douglas Wood. The series focuses on key approaches for two stages in an attorney’s career: developing a law practice and transitioning from an attorney career to retirement.

Law school teaches attorneys how to analyze problems, interpret precedent and advocate effectively. What it often does not teach is how to build a sustainable practice.

Many lawyers begin their careers believing strong legal work alone will naturally lead to opportunity. Skill certainly matters. But over time, most attorneys discover that professional growth also depends on visibility, relationships, consistency and planning.

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Checking In: May 19, 2026

Compiled by Jessica Junqueira

Dozier Miller Law Group Opens New Lake Norman Office

Dozier Miller Law Group announced the opening of its new office, which serves individuals in the Lake Norman area. The office is located off Sam Furr Road near Birkdale at 8015 West Kenton Circle, Suite 110, Huntersville. The new office will extend the firm’s legal offerings to clients in northern Mecklenburg and southern Iredell. The firm provides representation in family law, business law, civil litigation, real estate disputes, probate, personal injury, estate planning and criminal defense.

Fox Rothschild Names New Partners

Ashley, a white woman with dark brown hair, wears a grey blouse and black blazer and gold necklace.Ashley Barton Chandler practices in the firm’s Greensboro office. She is a litigator who represents companies and shareholders in commercial disputes. Her practice is focused on complex business litigation with an emphasis on trade secret, restrictive covenant and shareholder litigation. Before joining the firm, she was a judicial law clerk to Michael L. Robinson of the North Carolina Business Court. She often volunteers at Wake Forest University School of Law, where she serves as a judge for the school’s moot court competitions. She received her law degree magna cum laude from Wake Forest University School of Law. While in law school, she served as an executive board member of the Wake Forest Law Review. She received her bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Roger Williams University.

Joseph, a white man with brown hair, wears a white shirt, maroon tie with blue stripes and black jacket.Joseph R. Shuford also practices in the Greensboro office, where he is a construction law attorney. He has represented public and private entities, and he drafts contracts that allocate risks to reduce the likelihood of later disputes. Shuford has previous experience as assistant attorney general with the North Carolina Department of Justice, where he focused on construction and contract disputes involving the Department of Transportation. He received his law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law. Following his graduation from law school, he was selected as a Higher Education Law Fellow at UNC’s Office of University Counsel. He holds a bachelor’s degree from UNC.
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