Citizen Lawyer Philip Baddour
Article Date: Friday, June 26, 2009
Written By: by Amber Kirby
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Phillip Baddour
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As a newly minted lawyer some 42 years ago, Philip Baddour Jr. was told before
his first day on the job that he would be the chairman of the Cancer Society’s
fund drive.
“In those days,” says Baddour, “it was simply what was expected of a young
lawyer.”
Baddour has long thought of community service as just “a part of what lawyers
did.” For his longstanding service to the community, outside the practice of
law, Baddour has been honored by the North Carolina Bar Association as one of
the 12 Citizen Lawyer award winners for 2009.
According to Baddour, his most significant impact on the community of North
Carolina was his service in the General Assembly. Baddour served four terms in
the House of Representatives between 1993 and 2002, including two terms as House
Majority Leader, where he made decisions that affected the lives of citizens
across the state.
Baddour described his legislative service as “an enriching and rewarding
experience” that satisfied his “deep felt desire to try to make significant
contributions to the community and to the state.”
But Baddour’s experience in the legislature has not been his only impact on
North Carolina. He has also served as a colonel in the state National Guard and
in appointed positions on the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, the Board of
Transportation and the Board of Economic Development.
Baddour is currently legislative vice president for the North Carolina
Advocates of Justice, providing training to lawyers and lobbying the government
for changes in our judicial system.
Baddour not only serves North Carolina through political activism but has a
history of preparing North Carolina’s future leaders. As a member of the
Institute of Government Foundation, Baddour helped train public officials in
legal research and producing scholarly work.
Closer to home, Baddour has served with the Goldsboro Area Chamber of
Commerce, the Goldsboro Rotary Club and the Wayne County Economic Development
Commission.
Baddour has a thriving practice with Baddour, Parker, and Hine in
Goldsboro.
Sam Metzler, a clerk with his firm, describes Baddour as one who is “on top
of what law is coming through the legislature to make sure Jones Street stays on
track, has an incredible practice, and still cares for his family better than
most men I know.”
Baddour is married to Margaret Booth Baddour and has three children: Philip,
Mark and Helen.
Provided by the
Young Lawyers Division of the North
Carolina Bar Association in conjunction with the Citizen Lawyer Task
Force in recognition of recipients of the 2009 Citizen Lawyer Awards. The awards
were presented on Friday, June 26, at the NCBA Annual Meeting in
Asheville.