New Justice Fund Honors Henry Mitchell

Article Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Henry and Helen Mitchell unveil the Henry A. Mitchell Jr. Justice Fund at the N.C. Bar Center, assisted, from left, by four of their grandchildren: Morgan Peterson, Molly Mitchell, Wynn Mitchell and Mimi Peterson.

The Henry A. Mitchell Justice Fund was dedicated Wednesday evening, Oct. 14, at the N.C. Bar Center in Cary.

The newest named endowment fund of the North Carolina Bar Association Foundation honors the longtime Raleigh attorney whose name is reflected in the nameplate of Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan.

The restricted fund within the NCBA Foundation Endowment has been earmarked for the Legal Aid of North Carolina Fund. The Justice Fund was underwritten through a $100,000 contribution from the firm.

The LANC Fund, established by the NCBA Board of Governors in January 2007, is a named fund within the NCBA Foundation Endowment restricted to Legal Aid of North Carolina. The Smith Anderson contribution was made in conjunction with the 4ALL Campaign to expand the provision of legal services to the poor provided by LANC.

Justice Fund speakers, from left: Sammy Thompson, Steve Smith, John Jernigan and Henry Mitchell.

Introductory remarks regarding the honoree were provided by NCBA Past President John Jernigan, managing partner, and Samuel Thompson of the Smith Anderson firm, and Stephen Smith of McMillan Smith & Plyler.

Speaking on behalf of the NCBA were President John Wester of Charlotte, who presided over the ceremony, and Executive Director Allan Head who directed the unveiling of the Justice Fund etching.

Most appropriately, the dedication ceremony was held in the Dorsett Auditorium, which recognizes another Smith Anderson namesake, the late James K. Dorsett, Jr.

“One of Jim Dorsett’s legacies to our firm was his strong belief that a lawyer’s obligation is beyond client service,” Jernigan said. “It’s an obligation to serve our profession and it’s an obligation to serve our community. In fulfilling that obligation, Jim believed that you had become a better lawyer.

“We’re proud that Jim’s legacy is valued by our firm. It’s engrained in our culture, and our firm today continues that commitment.”

Thompson then provided insight as to what makes Mitchell a good lawyer.

“I think it is his quick grasp of the legal and business issues that the client faces,” Thompson said. “I think it is his enormous common sense, and I think his commitment to giving good advice means that which is best for the client in the long term, not necessarily that which is pleasing to the client in the short term.”

“By honoring Henry Mitchell today,” Thompson concluded, “we honor our profession forever.”

“You know him as a man of high integrity,” Smith added. “We all know him as a man with a huge heart who cares about his clients and who cares about his community and the world.

“I can say in summation that I don’t know a finer man than Henry Mitchell.”

Wester then called on Mitchell, who thanked the firm not only for establishing the Justice Fund, but also for its contributions to his life and career.

“I’ve had the real good fortune to practice law with our firm for over 45 years,” Mitchell said. “Smith Anderson has been a great influence on my life. It has given me many wonderful opportunities in the practice of law and in other areas unrelated to law practice that you heard a little bit about from the speakers who preceded me, and for that I am most grateful.”

A Justice Fund is a named endowment that honors those North Carolina lawyers, past and present, whose careers have demonstrated dedication to the pursuit of justice and outstanding service to the profession and the public. One or more contributors may establish a Justice Fund to honor a colleague, family member or friend.

Lawyers designated and honored by the creators of a Justice Fund receive special recognition in the form of a permanent plaque and biographical sketch – see below – maintained at the N.C. Bar Center. One or more contributors may establish a Justice Fund to honor a colleague, family member or friend through a combined gift of $35,000.

Restricted Justice Funds such as the new Mitchell Fund require contributions totaling at least $100,000.

The NCBA Foundation Endowment was established in 1987 to enable the foundation to fund programs and activities to better serve the public and the legal profession. As of June 2009, the endowment had awarded grants totaling $3,162,700 for 420 projects.

Henry A. Mitchell Jr. was born on Oct. 18, 1935, in Archdale, a community near High Point founded by the Society of Friends (Quakers). He attended High Point High School and served as president of his senior class, and as a member of the National Honor Society.

He then entered Guilford College, a Quaker college in Greensboro, as a Ragan Scholar, was president of his sophomore and senior classes, and served on the Student Government Council, graduating in 1957, with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

In 1958, he married his wife, Helen, and entered Wake Forest University School of Law where he was a Babcock Scholar. He was elected president of Phi Delta Phi legal fraternity and graduated near the top of his class receiving his J.D. degree in 1961.

After law school, Mitchell accepted an appointment as research assistant and law clerk to Chief Judge Edwin M. Stanley of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina in Greensboro. He also clerked for Judge L. Richardson Preyer of the Middle District, who recommended him to Smith, Leach, Anderson & Dorsett where he began practice in 1963.

During his early years of law practice, he was engaged in all areas of practice, as was customary for a young lawyer at that time. He became a partner in the firm in 1968. Mitchell was thereafter appointed deputy general counsel of the Export-Import Bank of the United States in Washington, D.C. in 1970.

He returned to North Carolina and to the firm in 1972, at which time a new partnership was formed – Smith, Anderson, Blount & Mitchell. The firm at that time was composed of six attorneys and has grown through the years to 114 attorneys and staff of 85 today. During his 48 years of practice, Mitchell has focused primarily on corporate, insurance and regulatory practice.

Mitchell is an active member of the North Carolina Bar Association where he has served in a number of leadership positions, including vice president and member of the Board of Governors. He was also a member of the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners from 1987-91.

In 1975, he served on a special committee of the North Carolina Bar Association to investigate the formation of a mutual insurance company to insure the lawyers of North Carolina for professional liability. As a result of the work of that committee, Lawyers Mutual Liability Insurance Company of North Carolina was formed in 1976. Mitchell is a founding member of the board and has served continuously as a director for 33 years and as chairman of the board and executive committee of Lawyers Mutual for 23 years. He was appointed chairman emeritus of the board in October 2008 and serves as a director today.

Mitchell was also active in the formation of Georgia Lawyers Liability Insurance Company and until recently served on the board and executive committee of that company, a subsidiary of Lawyers Mutual, until it was sold in 2008.

Mitchell was a member of the board of directors of Wachovia Bank for the Eastern Region of North Carolina from 1976 to 2002, serving as chairman from 1993-98.

Mitchell has been active in the American Bar Association, serving on various committees, and presently serves as state chair of the North Carolina Fellows of the American Bar Foundation. He has also served as national president of the American Counsel Association, an affiliate of the American Bar Association.

Over the years, Mitchell has served in numerous civic, cultural and governmental capacities. He is a director of the North Carolina Chamber (formerly North Carolina Citizens for Business & Industry), having served as legal counsel for a number of years. He serves as a trustee of the North Carolina Symphony and is a member of its executive and audit committees.

He was also a member of the Foundation of the N. C. Museum of Art for many years and is now on the trustees’ council of the Museum. He served as general counsel and member of the Governor’s Business Council under Govs. Hunt, Martin and Easley, and as a member of the N.C. Board of Conservation & Development under Gov. Holshouser.

Mitchell has been a member of the board of trustees of Guilford College and the board of visitors of Wake Forest University School of Law. He is a past president of the Sphinx Club of Raleigh. He presently serves as a trustee of the North Carolina Supreme Court Historical Society.

Mitchell has been recognized in: Best Lawyers in America, Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite; North Carolina Super Lawyers and Martindale-Hubbell (AV rated). He continues to practice law at Smith Anderson in Raleigh. He and his wife enjoy traveling, spending time at the North Carolina coast, fly-fishing, community service, and – most of all – spending time with their three children and seven grandchildren, all of whom live in Raleigh.

Last Update: Thursday, November 19, 2009