On behalf of the Selection Committee, I am reaching out to further encourage you to nominate a deserving lawyer for induction into the NCBA Legal Practice Hall of Fame. The nominations remain open until March 17, 2023.

I hope that you reviewed the comments included in a blog post from Ed Gaskins, encouraging members of the NCBA to nominate lawyers for induction into the Legal Practice Hall of Fame and giving special emphasis to the need for diversity. Those of us who are involved in this process fully support that emphasis. Ed’s blog was followed up by an excellent NC Lawyer magazine interview in which Judge Richard Doughton, the current Chair of the Senior Lawyers Division, and Judge Robert C. Hunter, the chair-elect of the SLD, seek more engagement for this section. They specifically reference the Hall of Fame and the banquet that will once again be held to allow the inductees and sponsors to share remarks. The reason that these fine members have spoken up about this topic is that they have personally observed how special an event this really is – not only for the inductees and sponsors, but for everyone who attends the banquets.

The Hall of Fame is designed to recognize a lifetime of exemplary service, high ethical and professional standards as a lawyer, and serving as a role model for all lawyers in North Carolina. I am sure that nearly all of you know lawyers who meet these criteria. As I have said before, one thing I can promise you is that it will mean more than you can know to that person – and to their family, friends, and colleagues.

Here are the official qualifications: a lawyer must have engaged in the practice of law for at least 30 years, primarily in North Carolina, and they must be a member 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.

Since it was founded in 1989, a total of 178 lawyers have been selected. These lawyers practice across the state, and since a change in name and scope in 2019 to include not only general practice lawyers but also lawyers with more focused practices, in a wide variety of practice areas.

Nominate an attorney for this award today.

Thanks for your time and attention. We look forward to hearing from you.

March 6, 2023/by Senior Lawyers