Equal access to justice should exist for every individual, regardless of economic status. However, the 2021 Civil Legal Needs Assessment published by the North Carolina Equal Access to Justice Commission and Equal Justice Alliance, in partnership with UNC Greensboro’s Center for Housing and Community Studies, revealed that 86% of North Carolinians are not able to get legal help. Legal aid providers are woefully underfunded, which means they cannot serve the majority of the people who qualify for their services. Those who qualify for legal aid certainly cannot afford an attorney’s average $250/hour fee, and what’s more, a large majority of the middle class who do not qualify for legal aid or any government funding, cannot afford it either. When those of modest means do not have access to adequate legal services, we fail to represent the principles of our profession.
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00Pro Bonohttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngPro Bono2023-02-08 16:46:282023-02-08 16:46:282022 North Carolina Pro Bono Reporting Now Open
For several years, I have served on the NCBA Law Practice Hall of Fame Selection Committee. It has been a privilege to do so, as the Committee reviews the nominating materials of some of the most outstanding attorneys in our state. It is inspiring to do so!
The primary purpose of this blog post is to urge you to nominate lawyers whom you admire and who have been exemplary practitioners and community leaders, displaying extraordinary standards of professionalism. But as part of that, I urge you to think comprehensively, to help us increase the depth of our nomination process and the breadth of our Hall of Fame.
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00Senior Lawyershttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngSenior Lawyers2023-02-06 15:40:442023-02-06 15:40:44Nominations Open for the Legal Practice Hall of Fame
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 2023 will focus on “reminding us that together, we can collaborate to overcome our differences, resolve our disputes, and preserve our democracy and republic.” The North Carolina Bar Association’s Law Week and Liberty Bell Committee host 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. The committee is excited to announce that we will be hosting this year’s celebration on Friday, May 5, 2023. Please see a list of competitions for students and legal professionals below.
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 YLD2023-02-06 13:29:152023-02-06 13:44:47Civics, Civility, and Collaboration: The Cornerstone of our Democracy – Law Day 2023
This past year, the North Carolina Bar Association focused on access to our courts. The North Carolina State Bar also is evaluating this important subject. As our state becomes more populated and more diverse, it is good to look at how effectively our court system which includes Administrative Process is meeting this goal.
The United States Constitution, Fourteenth Amendment states:
The Scholarship Committee had a number of excellent student essays submitted for the Fall 2022 Paralegal Division Student Scholarship. The topic, “What skillsets do you believe a paralegal should have in order to be successful?”, allowed students the chance to highlight not only the skills they believe make them a powerful addition to the legal field but also how those skills can bring them success. While each essay was superb, the Scholarship Committee is proud to announce that Erin Acaley is the winner of the Fall 2022 Scholarship. Below, you can find a little more information about Erin, as well as her essay.
Thank you to all the students who submitted essays. We look forward to your submissions for the 2023 Spring Scholarship! Read more
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00Paralegalshttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngParalegals2023-02-02 09:23:502023-02-02 09:23:50Erin Acaley – The Winner of the Fall 2022 Paralegal Division Student Scholarship
Anne Harvey, Mona O’Bryant and I serve as the co-chairs of the Environment, Energy, & Natural Resources Law Section Pro Bono Committee. We wanted to provide information about some upcoming pro-bono opportunities.
Updates to EENR Environmental Law Fact Sheets
In 2009, the EENR Section prepared a series of Environmental Law Fact Sheets as part of a series intended to provide an introduction to someone living or working in North Carolina who is confronted with an issue of environmental law. We are looking for volunteers to help update the existing fact sheets and, if there is sufficient interest, create new fact sheets. A link to the current version of the fact sheets is available.
This post links to a wide variety of articles reflecting the breadth and depth of administrative law: a North Carolina entity’s administrative law-related legislative agenda; a new governor’s rule-repeal executive order; AI and regulation; the little-known role of contractors in federal rulemaking; and a Wall Street Journal article about a recent Ohio Supreme Court case eliminating judicial deference to agency interpretations.
For each article, we have provided a link, the title and author, and the opening paragraph or sentence to help you decide if you want to read the article. Note that for some of these articles, a subscription may be required. And, thanks to everyone who suggested articles to include in this post.
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00Administrativehttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngAdministrative2023-01-26 15:16:272023-01-26 15:16:27Administrative Law in the News – Recent Articles
A. We had a Council meeting on January 12, 2023. The next meeting is on March 23, 2023, in Cary, NC.
You might ask: “Why wasn’t I invited?”
The answer is: “You’re not signed up to volunteer as a committee chair or a council member.”
Then, you might say: “Well, how can I get more involved?”
My response would be: “Have you not read any of the previous blog posts where I tell you exactly how to do this? Are you so stinking busy that you can’t take the 15 seconds to email me or Cheyenne Merrigan to get signed up?”
https://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.png00FamilyLawhttps://ncbarblogprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Blog-Header-1-1030x530.pngFamilyLaw2023-01-25 15:36:282023-01-25 15:36:28Family Law Section Update: January
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP Selects New Counsel
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP announced that Leah M. Campbell has been elevated to counsel with the firm. Campbell practices in the Charlotte office. She specializes in the intersection of technology, regulation, securities law and financial services. She has represented financial services and insurance company clients in federal and state courts and before state regulators. She has provided intellectual property guidance in mergers and acquisitions and corporate structuring matters. Campbell holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from Tulane University Law School and a B.A. from The Evergreen State College.
Carruthers & Roth, P.A. Welcomes New Director
The firm announced that attorney Britton Lewis has been selected as a director. Lewis practices in the Commercial Real Estate and Banking and Finance groups. He represents both developers and business owners and supports traditional and asset-based lenders. He is admitted to appear in federal courts in the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of North Carolina. Before joining the firm, Lewis was a clerk for the Honorable Patrick Flatley in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of West Virginia. Lewis earned a J.D., with honors, from the University of North Carolina School of Law, and he holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Cranfill Sumner LLP Names New Partners
Robert El-Jaouhari is now a partner with the firm. Based in Raleigh, El-Jaouhair focuses on real estate litigation and governmental regulation. He has experience working with clients on complex environmental regulatory matters related to new questions under federal and state law. He earned his J.D., with honors, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law, and he also holds a master’s degree in philosophy from Duquesne University and a B.A. in philosophy and history from North Carolina State University.
We hope everyone’s 2023 is off to a great start! The Dispute Resolution Section asks all mediators, arbitrators, collaboratively trained practitioners/neutrals, paralegals, and attorneys to please complete this Pro Bono Survey.
The survey measures pro bono work in the field of dispute resolution (including but not limited to mediation, arbitration, and collaborative law cases). Your responses will help determine nominees for the NCBA Pro Bono Awards and the inaugural Harmony Award.
2022 North Carolina Pro Bono Reporting Now Open
Pro Bono CommitteeEqual access to justice should exist for every individual, regardless of economic status. However, the 2021 Civil Legal Needs Assessment published by the North Carolina Equal Access to Justice Commission and Equal Justice Alliance, in partnership with UNC Greensboro’s Center for Housing and Community Studies, revealed that 86% of North Carolinians are not able to get legal help. Legal aid providers are woefully underfunded, which means they cannot serve the majority of the people who qualify for their services. Those who qualify for legal aid certainly cannot afford an attorney’s average $250/hour fee, and what’s more, a large majority of the middle class who do not qualify for legal aid or any government funding, cannot afford it either. When those of modest means do not have access to adequate legal services, we fail to represent the principles of our profession.
Read more
Nominations Open for the Legal Practice Hall of Fame
Senior Lawyers DivisionFor several years, I have served on the NCBA Law Practice Hall of Fame Selection Committee. It has been a privilege to do so, as the Committee reviews the nominating materials of some of the most outstanding attorneys in our state. It is inspiring to do so!
The primary purpose of this blog post is to urge you to nominate lawyers whom you admire and who have been exemplary practitioners and community leaders, displaying extraordinary standards of professionalism. But as part of that, I urge you to think comprehensively, to help us increase the depth of our nomination process and the breadth of our Hall of Fame.
Read more
Civics, Civility, and Collaboration: The Cornerstone of our Democracy – Law Day 2023
Young Lawyers DivisionThe 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 2023 will focus on “reminding us that together, we can collaborate to overcome our differences, resolve our disputes, and preserve our democracy and republic.” The North Carolina Bar Association’s Law Week and Liberty Bell Committee host 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. The committee is excited to announce that we will be hosting this year’s celebration on Friday, May 5, 2023. Please see a list of competitions for students and legal professionals below.
Law Day 2022
Read more
Access to Our Courts
Administrative LawThis past year, the North Carolina Bar Association focused on access to our courts. The North Carolina State Bar also is evaluating this important subject. As our state becomes more populated and more diverse, it is good to look at how effectively our court system which includes Administrative Process is meeting this goal.
The United States Constitution, Fourteenth Amendment states:
Read more
Erin Acaley – The Winner of the Fall 2022 Paralegal Division Student Scholarship
Paralegal DivisionBy The Scholarship Committee
The Scholarship Committee had a number of excellent student essays submitted for the Fall 2022 Paralegal Division Student Scholarship. The topic, “What skillsets do you believe a paralegal should have in order to be successful?”, allowed students the chance to highlight not only the skills they believe make them a powerful addition to the legal field but also how those skills can bring them success. While each essay was superb, the Scholarship Committee is proud to announce that Erin Acaley is the winner of the Fall 2022 Scholarship. Below, you can find a little more information about Erin, as well as her essay.
Thank you to all the students who submitted essays. We look forward to your submissions for the 2023 Spring Scholarship!
Read more
Upcoming Pro Bono Opportunities
Environment Energy & Natural ResourcesGreetings Section Members,
Anne Harvey, Mona O’Bryant and I serve as the co-chairs of the Environment, Energy, & Natural Resources Law Section Pro Bono Committee. We wanted to provide information about some upcoming pro-bono opportunities.
Updates to EENR Environmental Law Fact Sheets
In 2009, the EENR Section prepared a series of Environmental Law Fact Sheets as part of a series intended to provide an introduction to someone living or working in North Carolina who is confronted with an issue of environmental law. We are looking for volunteers to help update the existing fact sheets and, if there is sufficient interest, create new fact sheets. A link to the current version of the fact sheets is available.
Read more
Administrative Law in the News – Recent Articles
Administrative LawBy the Communications Committee
This post links to a wide variety of articles reflecting the breadth and depth of administrative law: a North Carolina entity’s administrative law-related legislative agenda; a new governor’s rule-repeal executive order; AI and regulation; the little-known role of contractors in federal rulemaking; and a Wall Street Journal article about a recent Ohio Supreme Court case eliminating judicial deference to agency interpretations.
For each article, we have provided a link, the title and author, and the opening paragraph or sentence to help you decide if you want to read the article. Note that for some of these articles, a subscription may be required. And, thanks to everyone who suggested articles to include in this post.
Read more
Family Law Section Update: January
Family Law SectionA. We had a Council meeting on January 12, 2023. The next meeting is on March 23, 2023, in Cary, NC.
You might ask: “Why wasn’t I invited?”
The answer is: “You’re not signed up to volunteer as a committee chair or a council member.”
Then, you might say: “Well, how can I get more involved?”
My response would be: “Have you not read any of the previous blog posts where I tell you exactly how to do this? Are you so stinking busy that you can’t take the 15 seconds to email me or Cheyenne Merrigan to get signed up?”
Read more
Checking In: January 24, 2023
Checking InBradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP Selects New Counsel
Carruthers & Roth, P.A. Welcomes New Director
Cranfill Sumner LLP Names New Partners
Read more
Pro Bono and Nominating Committee Updates
Dispute Resolution SectionWe hope everyone’s 2023 is off to a great start! The Dispute Resolution Section asks all mediators, arbitrators, collaboratively trained practitioners/neutrals, paralegals, and attorneys to please complete this Pro Bono Survey.
The survey measures pro bono work in the field of dispute resolution (including but not limited to mediation, arbitration, and collaborative law cases). Your responses will help determine nominees for the NCBA Pro Bono Awards and the inaugural Harmony Award.
Read more