You may have seen that nominations for the North Carolina Bar Association’s Legal Practice Hall of Fame are now open and are set to close on March 25, 2022. All of you are busy and have other things to do, but I want to encourage you take a little time to consider this opportunity to nominate a lawyer who meets the criteria for this honor. One thing I can promise you is that it will mean more than you can know to that person – and to his or her family, friends, and colleagues.

Induction into the Legal Practice Hall of Fame signifies recognition of a lifetime of exemplary service and high ethical and professional standards as a lawyer and for serving as a role model for all lawyers in North Carolina.

To qualify, lawyers must have engaged in the practice of law for at least 30 years, primarily in North Carolina, and they must be members in good standing of the North Carolina State Bar and the North Carolina Bar Association. The person must be living at the time of their nomination. They must have shown the highest standards of ethics and professional competency. And they must have given a high level of service to the bar and their communities. These are lofty standards, but you know these people!

To be a member of the Hall of Fame is an honor that will be bestowed upon a relatively small number of lawyers, but there are many qualified lawyers in our bar. Since it was founded in 1989 as the General Practice Hall of Fame, a total of 173 lawyers have been selected, with as many as 8 selected in one year and as few as 3 selected in another year. These lawyers practice across the state and in varied practice areas since the change in 2019 to its current name, the Legal Practice Hall of Fame.

The officers of the Senior Lawyers Division will assemble a committee which will make the selection for this honor. The members of the committee will read and consider together all nominations to determine which lawyers will be selected for induction this year.

The nomination form can be found here, and you can view the past recipients of the award here. For more than a year, I personally was planning to nominate a lawyer who passed away recently. Don’t be the next person to wish you had taken advantage of this opportunity to honor a lawyer known to you who meets the qualifications for the Legal Practice Hall of Fame. If you have had the privilege of attending the ceremony where the formal induction takes place, you know what a special event this is. And if you have not been to one of those ceremonies, this should be the year for you to make that happen!

“The sponsorship of the Hall of Fame is probably the Senior Lawyers Division’s most significant contribution to the legal profession. We attempt to recognize the best and the brightest of our profession for a lifetime of excellence in service to the profession and to their communities. We urge you to give some thought to the criteria of your fellow lawyers and nominate for this significant recognition someone who meets the criteria.” – Doris Bray, Chair of the Senior Lawyers Division.

Thanks for your time, and we will look forward to hearing from you.

Dan Hartzog is the Hall of Fame Committee Chair for the Senior Lawyers Division.

March 9, 2022/by Senior Lawyers