Leading Off
Welcome to the November 2020 edition of North Carolina Lawyer magazine. This is the second issue in which the flagship publication of the North Carolina Bar Association is being delivered to you in a digital-only format.
As we continue to navigate the changes and challenges brought about by COVID-19, this edition of North Carolina Lawyer features coverage devoted to the global pandemic and its impact on the lives and work of numerous individuals.
Building from the August edition, when we first provided COVID-19 First-Person Perspectives from our members, the next installment in this series provides first-person perspectives from the deans of North Carolina’s six law schools. We are grateful to Deans Rich Leonard (Campbell), Kerry Abrams (Duke), Luke Bierman (Elon), Browne C. Lewis (NCCU), Martin Brinkley (UNC), and Jane Aiken (Wake Forest) for their insights into leading their respective law schools through these unprecedented events.
The pandemic also had a significant impact on individuals sitting for the July 2020 North Carolina Bar Exam and the organization that administers it, the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners. We have interviewed six successful applicants – one from each North Carolina law school – to gain their perspective on taking the bar exam under historic conditions, and Kimberly Herrick, chair of the N.C. Board of Law Examiners, whose organization undertook the task of administering the bar exam in person.
The North Carolina Bar Foundation has made numerous adjustments this year to continue providing pro bono and public service opportunities in a digital environment. At the forefront of this endeavor has been the COVID-19 Virtual Legal Hotlines, six of which were held from May to September throughout the state. Eleven attorneys and paralegals shared stories about the questions they received and the gratitude expressed by citizens who benefitted from their volunteer service.
The Senior Lawyers Division, which now administers the Legal Practice (formerly General Practice) Hall of Fame, conducted the Hall of Fame’s first virtual induction ceremony in October, again in light of COVID-19. The occasion calls for a celebration and insight from this year’s induction class: Marshall A. Gallop Jr., Judge Robert C. Hunter, Glenn E. Ketner Jr., Pender R. McElroy and Kenneth A. Moser.
Additional features, news stories and columns complete this digital edition of North Carolina Lawyer, including the President’s Perspective from Mark Holt, president of the North Carolina Bar Association and North Carolina Bar Foundation for 2020-21.
Pick and choose from the November 2020 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 article.
Russell Rawlings is director of external affairs and communications for the North Carolina Bar Association.