Leading Off
Welcome to the November 2021 edition of North Carolina Lawyer magazine, the flagship publication of the North Carolina Bar Association. President Jon Heyl sets the stage for this edition in the President’s Perspective, which focuses on how the important work of the NCBA and the North Carolina Bar Foundation has continued “unabated” despite the ongoing impact of the pandemic. We are also pleased to include the work of columnists Will Quick, chair of the Young Lawyers Division, Catherine Sanders Reach, director of the NCBA Center for Practice Management, and Professor Laura Graham of Wake Forest University School of Law (“Writing That Works”).
Individual attention is devoted to MaryJane Richardson, an assistant district attorney in Robeson County who provides insight on the subject of mentoring; Mayor Zeb Smathers of Canton, who is leading his hometown through its recovery from Tropical Storm Fred; Spencer Merriweather, who serves as Mecklenburg County’s district attorney; and Talece Y. Hunter, who has rebounded in inspiring fashion from the closure of Charlotte School of Law.
Features include an essay from Coleman Cowan who reflects on why he became a lawyer; a heartwarming story about how the UNC Military and Veterans Law Clinic restored the status and stature of a Vietnam veteran; a delightful discussion with attorney Marshall LaFar and legal assistant Susan Kelley, who have worked together for 51 years; and an interview with retired Judge Don Overby of the N.C. Office of Administrative Hearings regarding his book, “Just Ordinary Soldiers: Recollections of a Cold War Vet.”
News coverage is devoted to Doris Bray who is serving as chair of the Senior Lawyers Division, and Shawana W. Almendarez who is leading the Paralegal Division. Woody Connette, chair of the NCBF Development Committee, provides valuable insight on the charitable impact of Donor Advised Funds; former Chief Judge John C. Martin of the N.C. Court of Appeals is the newest member of the Council of Chief Judges of the State Courts of Appeal Hall of Fame; and four deserving college students are the latest recipients of scholarships for children of slain or permanently disabled North Carolina law enforcement officers provided through the Hubert B. Humphrey Justice Fund of the NCBF Endowment.
Pick and choose from the November 2021 issue page, or scroll conveniently from article to article through the entire edition utilizing the Previous Article – Next Article option at the end of each piece.
Cover image depicting flood damage courtesy Mountaineer Publishing Inc.
Russell Rawlings is director of external affairs and communications for the North Carolina Bar Association.