Induction of Glenn E. Ketner Jr. into the 2020 NCBA Legal Practice Hall of Fame

By his nominator and son, Glenn “Bo” E. Ketner III

Glenn has had an extraordinary legal career of almost 58 years, nearly all of it in Salisbury, and he maintains a thriving practice that encompasses estate planning, real estate and land use/zoning, among other areas. He is well known to clients and his peers in Rowan County and across the state as an expert in these practices, and as someone who can solve difficult problems.

Beyond his continuing practice, my father has made an extraordinary number of contributions of his apparently boundless energy, his expertise and his fine judgment – three essential qualities of a great lawyer – to the legal profession and to the broader community in Salisbury and North Carolina. A list of these efforts (and the various awards deriving from all of his service) would take too long to catalog, but it includes leadership service to the North Carolina Bar Association, service to educational institutions local and global in reach, and devoted service to his hometown of Salisbury.

Although it is perhaps not surprising to hear that a son who followed his father into the legal profession considers him a role model, I think it is fair to say that my dad has been a remarkable role model for a wide range of lawyers, from those with whom he has practiced, to those who have served with him on the boards and service organizations to which he has been so committed.

If I try to distill what makes my father special as a mentor and role model, it is that – even while working tirelessly – he has a way of deflecting attention from himself and making those with whom he interacts feel like the most important people in the room. He always operates in the first-person plural. Inevitably (even when it was entirely through his own creativity or persistence), “we” were able to do something for a client or for the community. He also immediately seems to discern, and then works to bring out, the best in other people. In so doing, my father has made a lifelong contribution to propagating the values he believes in, inspiring leaders in and outside of the North Carolina Bar.