Outstanding Citizen Lawyers Honored

Article Date: Friday, June 20, 2008

Written By: Russell Rawlings

Honorees, from left, Shirley Anthony, Aretha Blake, Martin Brinkley, Patsy Brison, Jay Chaudhuri, Sambo Dixon, Doyle Early, Carolyn Ingram and William White.

The North Carolina Bar Association selected 11 outstanding citizen lawyers for recognition at the 2008 Annual Meeting in Atlantic Beach. Presentation of the awards took place on Saturday, June 21, during the General Session.

Citizen lawyers, formally recognized for the first time last year, are those lawyers who provide exemplary service to their communities in a variety of ways, including public service in local or state government in elected or appointed positions, coaching youth sports teams or serving as tutors or mentors to young people, and volunteering or serving as board members for non-profit or community organizations.

Gene Pridgen of Charlotte served as chair of the Citizen Lawyer Task Force, which selected this year's honorees, and joined President Janet Ward Black in presenting the awards.

The 2008 NCBA Citizen Lawyers are:

Shirley Herman Anthony
Hickory attorney Shirley Herman Anthony of the Anthony & Tate firm has served as public administrator for Catawba County since 1991, and as president and board member of Palliative Care Center and Hospice of Catawba Valley.

"A dear friend many years ago reminded me that to be an attorney was a privilege not attainable by all, and that I should always remember that to whom much has been given, much was expected in return," Anthony said. "What he neglected to tell me, however, was that for every unselfish act of kindness on your part, you receive blessings tenfold.

"Besides, it's what my daddy would have wanted."

A 1988 graduate of the Wake Forest University School of Law, she has provided extensive pro bono service to Legal Aid of North Carolina's Morganton office, where she has chaired the Access to Justice Campaign and served for 20 years as a volunteer. She has conducted numerous family law workshops and speaks throughout the community on important subjects such as Medicare, elder law and special needs trusts.

Aretha V. Blake
Charlotte attorney Aretha V. Blake of Parker, Poe, Adams & Bernstein provides exemplary leadership, board service and pro bono representation to the Council for Children's Rights and its Student Defense Project, the H. L. McCrorey Family YMCA, the Junior League of Charlotte and the Mecklenburg County Board of Equalization and Review.

"As a mentor and volunteer with children's organizations, I have been privileged to see my contributions impact the lives of children in tangible ways," Blake said. "Only by remaining an active citizen in my community have I achieved a positive work/life balance that enables me to truly see the full benefits of being an attorney, which includes the unique ability of attorneys to use our skills to advocate on behalf of those who are often unheard."

A 2002 graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, Blake has served on the board of directors of the Mecklenburg County Bar and its Special Committee on Diversity and chaired the John S. Leary Bar Association.

Martin H. Brinkley
Raleigh attorney Martin H. Brinkley of Raleigh of Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan has served in leadership roles in his church, the Center for Law and Humanities, the Cherry Hill Historical Foundation, the Wake County Library Commission, the North Caroliniana Society, the Wake County Historical Society, the N.C. Supreme Court Historical Society and the Friends of the N.C. State Museum of Natural Sciences.

"Judge Sam J. Ervin III, who gave me my first job out of law school, encouraged his clerks to become 'dues paying members of society,' " Brinkley said. "In trying to follow that instruction, I've found that working in the community opens pathways to understanding my fellow human beings, both as individuals and in collective groups organized for some purpose.

"Watching and listening has taught me to respect the desires that lie at the heart of how people relate to one another in our society. I hope engaging with my fellow citizens in this way has made me a better lawyer and a better person."

A 1992 graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law, Brinkley chaired the NCBA's Young Lawyers Division and Strategic Planning & Emerging Trends Committee, served on the Board of Governors, and most recently co-chaired the 4ALL Task Force.

Patsy Brison
Asheville attorney Patsy Brison of the Roberts & Stevens firm has served since 2002 on the National Board of Directors of Girls Scouts of the U.S.A., and since 2005 on the GSUSA Task Force on the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

"We are all given gifts at birth and are enriched by opportunities and experiences during our lifetime," Brison said. "Our use of those gifts, opportunities and experiences is how we give back to the communities in which we live and work.

"Through my service on the national board of the Girl Scouts, I have benefited immeasurably from seeing how our work provides opportunities and experiences to enrich the lives of girls in our country and even throughout the world. Giving back is a gift that keeps on giving."

A 1983 graduate of the Norman A. Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University, she previously served as president of the Girl Scout Council of Western N.C. and YWCA of Buncombe County.

Sen. Pete Brunstetter
Winston-Salem lawyer Pete Brunstetter of Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice represents Forsyth County (District 31) in the N.C. Senate. He served on the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners from 1991-2004 and chaired the board the final 10 years of his tenure.

"We are making laws that affect the daily lives of North Carolinians," Brunstetter said. "Having an attorney's background in reading and interpreting laws certainly has helped me make better decisions on behalf of the people. Not every legislator should be an attorney, but a legal background provides an important set of skills to have in the mix."

A 1984 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, Sen. Brunstetter served in the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve, resigning his commission in 1990 with the rank of lieutenant commander. He serves on the board of directors of the Winston-Salem Alliance and previously served as board chair for YMCAs of Northwest North Carolina and Novant Health, Inc.

Lucien "Skip" Capone III
Greensboro lawyer Lucien "Skip" Capone III, who serves as university counsel for UNC-Greensboro, provides free air transportation to seriously ill patients of all ages as an "Angel Flight" pilot. He served 20 years as a Navy reservist in the JAG Corps, and serves on the board of directors of the National Association of College and University Attorneys.

"I was taught at an early age that one mark of a successful life is having left the world a little bit better than you found it," Capone said. "While not all of us will have the good fortune to affect large societal changes, I firmly believe that if each of us can do something to make someone else's life a little better or a little easier, the sum total will be a better, happier and more just world."

A 1977 graduate of the Wake Forest University School of Law, Capone serves as a public member on two not-for-profit accreditation boards, the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational programs.

Jay J. Chaudhuri
Jay J. Chaudhuri of Raleigh, who serves as special counsel to Attorney General Roy Cooper, is president of the Indian-American Leadership Initiative which seeks to connect, support and invest in Indian-American progressives.

"I view my identity as a lawyer as one and the same of a citizen," Chaudhuri said. "Both call upon us to assume a public role and advance the welfare of our community. My work for the Attorney General and community service sustain my personal purpose of giving back. I wake up every day knowing that I'm serving the greater good. There are few experiences more rewarding than that."

A 1999 graduate of the North Carolina Central University School of Law, Chaudhuri also serves on the boards of the Wildacres Leadership Initiative and North Carolina Gives. As special counsel, he was instrumental in the development of a school safety response kit in the aftermath of the Columbine massacre, and managed the Campus Safety Task Force created in response to the Virginia Tech tragedy.

Samuel B. Dixon
Edenton lawyer Samuel B. Dixon of the law firm Dixon & Thompson has served since 1994 on the Edenton Historical Commission and played a prominent role in the spectacular renovation of the Chowan County Courthouse. He founded the citizens group to save the Edenton Cotton Mill and Village and created the Richard Dillard Dixon Fund for stabilization of endangered historic buildings in the Albemarle region

"One of my greatest blessings is being able to contribute to the life of my community," Dixon said. "I feel strongly that if you do not give back to the people in the place where you live, you have not fulfilled your duty to the legal profession. The privilege of practicing law in the small town where I grew up has offered me many opportunities to help those in need around me. I wake up every morning excited about living in Edenton, and I try to do something good for at least one person each day."

A 1988 graduate of the Wake Forest University School of Law, Dixon has served on the Edenton Town Council since 1997. He served as president of the First Judicial Bar Association and provided board leadership to The Preservation Foundation of N.C., Historic Stagville and the Chowan Arts Council. He currently serves on the board of the Edenton-Chowan Development Corp.

A. Doyle Early, Jr.
High Point attorney A. Doyle Early Jr. of Wyatt Early Harris Wheeler has served as president/chair of the Family Service Bureau, the Guilford County Board of Social Services, the High Point Career Service Commission, the High Point Chamber of Commerce and the High Point Rotary Club.

"Rotary has a great motto: Service Above Self," Early said. "I believe that when you give your time and effort to serve others, you are the one who receives the greatest gift. Involvement in my family, my church, my alma mater and my community has given me balance and satisfaction in my life."

A 1967 graduate of the Wake Forest University School of Law, Early served as chairman of the board of the High Point Convention and Visitors Bureau from 1986-90, earning the title of Chairman Emeritus for 25 years of service. He is also a founder and former chair of the Furniture Discovery Center and former board member of High Point Partners, Inc. and the High Point Economic Development Corp.

Carolyn Burnette Ingram
Kenansville attorney Carolyn Burnette Ingram of the Ingram & Ingram law firm has provided leadership service to Duplin County Home Health Care and Hospice, the Duplin County Arts Council, the Duplin County Board of Elections, Delta Kappa Gamma Teachers Sorority International, Legal Services Corp. of the Lower Cape Fear and the Duplin General Hospital Foundation.

"My life has been directed by my faith in God," Ingram said. "I have been so richly blessed, and I want to use those blessings to help others. As a lawyer, I have been able to do that in my specialty of family law. As a citizen, my legal training and experience have given me leadership skills which I have been able to use to help my community. I have always wanted to be a lawyer. I greatly enjoy it, and can think of nothing I would rather do."

A 1972 graduate of the Wake Forest University School of Law, Ingram serves on the Town of Kenansville Planning Board, currently in the capacity of vice chair, and as president of the Grove Presbyterian Church corporation. She served on the organizing committee of the Guardian ad Litem Program for the Fourth Judicial District of N.C. in 1986 and thereafter as an attorney for the program through 1999.

William O. White Jr.
Roanoke Rapids attorney William O. White, Jr. of Wellman, White & Wilson has provided exemplary civic leadership to his community, including two terms on the Halifax Community College Board of Trustees. He has devoted countless hours of service as coach to the Roanoke Rapids CASL Soccer Team and the Roanoke Valley Youth Soccer Traveling Team, providing a positive influence to scores of youngsters.

"Being a Citizen Lawyer," White said, "has permitted me to serve others as a representative of our profession by utilizing the God-given intelligence, the education taught to me by my parents, teachers, professors and colleagues, and the passion to make one's community a better place."

A 1974 graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law, Bill White currently serves on the Citizens Advisory Board for Citizens Community Bank in Roanoke Rapids and Gaston. He has held numerous offices in the Jaycees, Kiwanis and Rotary clubs, including service as president of the Kiwanis Club, and also served as president and board member of the Lakeland Cultural Arts Center.