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2006 News Articles › Richardson, Students Honored At Law Day
Richardson, Students Honored At Law Day
Article Date: Monday, May 08, 2006
Gastonia’s Highland School of Technology defeated Terry Sanford High School of Fayetteville Friday in the final round of the 2006 Moot Court competition, culminating the North Carolina Bar Association’s 49th annual observance of Law Day.
Moot Court winners Laura Paschall, left, and Alyssa Kisby accept trophies from Chief Justice Sarah Parker. |
Highland Tech, making its first appearance in the finals as the Western Region champion, was represented by Alyssa Kisby and Laura Paschall. Michael Koonce and Sebastian Franco represented Terry Sanford, which was making its sixth consecutive appearance in the finals as the Eastern Region champion.
Paschall is the daughter of NCBA member Nancy Paschall.
The Moot Court Finals were judged before a panel of N.C. Supreme Court and Court of Appeals judges Friday morning. Each winning student receives a $300 savings bond while a $200 savings bond was presented to each of the runners-up during the Law Day awards ceremony at the North Carolina Museum of History’s Daniels Auditorium.
Chief Justice Sarah Parker and Justice Mark D. Martin of the N.C. Supreme Court joined Judges Douglas McCullough and Robin E. Hudson of the N.C. Court of Appeals in judging the finals of the moot court competition.
Law Day is the culmination of a year's worth of activities for school children in North Carolina. Law Day and Law Week events are made possible through the generous funding of the Beverly C. Moore Justice Fund of the NCBA Foundation Endowment in cooperation with the NCBA Young Lawyers Division.
Mrs. Beverly C. Moore of Greensboro attended the Law Day ceremony and was recognized during the awards presentation.
Winners in the Essay, Photo/Essay and Poster Art contests, with savings bond values in parenthesis, are:
Junior High (grades 6-8) Essay Contest: 1st – Emily G. Tucker, Piney Grove Middle School, Lawsonville ($300); 2nd – Margo Smith, Metrolina Regional Scholars’ Academy, Charlotte ($200); 3rd – Mikayla Craig, Davidson International Baccalaureate Middle School, Cornelius ($100).
Senior High (grades 9-12) Essay Contest: 1st – Jamie Lillard, North Henderson High School, Hendersonville ($300); 2nd – Justin Shrader, North Henderson High School, Hendersonville ($200); 3rd – Bobby O’Hern, Sampson Early College High School, Autryville ($100).
Poster Art Contest (grade 4-6): 1st – Katlyn Miller, Sparta School, Sparta ($300); 2nd – Adam Gambill, Sparta School, Sparta ($200); 3rd – Chelsea Blevins, Sparta School, Sparta ($100).
Photo/Essay Contest (grade 8): 1st – Edward G. Madill, Cullowhee Valley School, Cullowhee ($500); 2nd – Hunter Rigsby, H. M. Arndt Middle School,
Hickory ($250) 3rd – Aaron Shapiro, Cullowhee Valley School, Cullowhee ($100); honorable mention, Madhulika Vulimiri, Martin Middle School, Raleigh, and Bria Marlowe, East Alexander Middle School, Hiddenite.
Judge Herbert Richardson accepts Liberty Bell Award from Kimberly Brackett-Jones. |
Judge Herbert L. Richardson of Lumberton received the 2006 Liberty Bell Award and provided the Law Day address prior to the recognition of the student winners.
The Liberty Bell Award is one of the most prestigious awards given annually by the NCBA and is presented to one who has “strengthened the American system of freedom under law.”
Judge Richardson has served on the District Court bench (District 16-B) since 1979, including a term as chief judge from 1994-2000. A Nash County native, he earned his bachelor’s degree (1973) and law degree (1976) from North Carolina Central University. He began practicing law in Durham, then moved to Lumberton to serve in the district attorney’s office prior to his appointment to the bench by Gov. Hunt.
In NCBA circles, Richardson is revered for his dedication and commitment to the High School Law Center Conference, for which he routinely provides the keynote address. Presented two times a year by the Minorities in the Profession Committee, the conferences introduce high school students to the legal profession.
Richardson has traveled across the state to provide his motivational message to high school students. Thus, he should feel right at home in attending the Law Day festivities.
“Judge Richardson has been an asset to the North Carolina legal community, and to the greater community as a whole,” said Winston-Salem attorney Candice Wooten who chairs the Minorities in the Profession Committee. “Judge Richardson freely gives of his time to impact the lives of student throughout the state, not simply providing an insider’s view on a career in the legal profession, but providing motivational words for youth across the state.”
Richardson, she added, inspires students to stay in school and encourages them to become productive and responsible citizens, regardless of whether their career path includes the legal profession.
In addition to numerous family members and friends who ventured to Raleigh to share the special day with Judge Richardson, four Robeson County court colleagues were in attendance: Chief District Court Judge James S. Carmical; Clerk of Court Renae O. Hunt; Louise Lassiter, District Court trial court coordinator; and Marcus Williams, assistant public defender.
Previous winners of the Liberty Bell Award were William Joslin, Henry Frye, Robert R. Browning, Lacy Thornburg, James B. Hunt Jr., William C. Friday, Sam J. Ervin III, Terry Sanford, Herbert H. Taylor Jr., James Dickson Phillips Jr., Wade E. Brown, Hiram H. Ward, Kathrine Everett, L. Richardson Preyer, J. Frank Huskins, McNeill Smith, Franklin T. Dupree Jr., Thad Eure, Joseph Branch, Dr. Robert E. Lee, William B. Aycock, Susie Sharp and Sam Ervin Jr.
Law Day program participants included NCBA President Mike Colombo and Judges Ann Marie Calabria and Eric Levinson of the N.C. Court of Appeals.
The 2006 Law Week Committee co-chairs were Kim D’Arruda, who also coordinated the Moot Court competition, and Todd Jones who also coordinated the activity book.
Also serving in leadership roles were Christopher J. Ayers, Moot Court Coordinator; Matthew P. Blake, Moot Court Problem; Kimberly Brackett-Jones, Liberty Bell Award Chair; Andrew T. Cornelius, At-large Committee member; Colleen M. Crowley, Essay Chair; Nancy R. Dunn, Moot Court Eastern Regional Chair; Heather H. Freeman, Citizenship Education Committee Chair; Jennifer M. Jones, Ceremony Chair; Paul Mediratta, Citizenship Education Committee Chair; Dana C. Moody, Moot Court Problem; Joseph A. Newsome, Moot Court Problem; Paige W. Perry, Poster Art Chair; Elizabeth H. Poremba, At-large Committee member; Bryan A. Powell, Moot Court Finals Chair; Jina Bowman Propst, JDR Committee Chair; Vanessa N. Totten, Activity Book; and Susan Vanderweert, Luncheon Chair.
Amy Butterworth and the Mecklenburg County Bar coordinated the Western Regional Moot Court Competition.