LRE Conference Challenges Students

Article Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Judge Herbert Richardson

Judge Richardson read them The Riot Act, and that’s a good thing.

 

It’s the kind of message that every student needs to hear, including the middle and high school students who attended the Diversity in the Profession Law Career Fall Conference held Friday at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center in Henderson.

 

And it is a message that Chief District Court Judge Herbert L. Richardson of Lumberton can deliver like no one else. He commands your attention, and is not afraid to get in your face. He challenges students to set the bar high, and dares them to achieve that which he has achieved.

 

Panelists included, from left, Lewis Hutchinson, Tasha Gardner, Justice Paul Newby and Blanca Borceguin.

He speaks from the heart of his high school days, of integrating Northern Nash High School and competing in basketball against the great Henry Bibby of Franklinton. He talks about getting picked on in high school about his appearance and his studiousness, and about how he enjoys showing off his Mercedes to those who made fun of him all those many years ago.

           

He preaches books over iPods. He urges students to take the SAT early and often; he tells of skipping the prom on Friday night because the SAT was being given the next morning.

 

It is a motivational address familiar to those affiliated with the North Carolina Bar Association, which honored him as the recipient of the Liberty Bell Award in 2006, and the Law-Related Education Advisory Committee, which often calls upon Judge Richardson to present at programs and conferences.

           

In this instance, Judge Richardson shared the spotlight with an outstanding roster of speakers and presenters that also included Justice Paul Newby of the N.C. Supreme Court; Assistant District Attorney Tasha Gardner of the 9th Judicial District (Granville, Vance, Warren and Franklin counties); Assistant Dean of Admissions Lewis Hutchinson of the Campbell University School of Law; paralegal Blanca Borceguin of NicholsonPham Attorneys at Law in Durham; attorney Roderick Allison of the Allison Law Office in Creedmoor who serves as co-chair of the LRE Advisory Committee; and LRE Director Diane Wright.

           

More than 100 students from Butner-Stem Middle School, North Granville Middle School, J.F. Webb High School in Oxford and Christian Faith Center Academy in Creedmoor attended the program.

 

Attendees included, from left, Joy Bullard, Adrienne Bridges, Tamara Terry, Charisma Doyle, Hannah Curry and Amber Hamilton from the Christian Faith Center Academy.