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Citizen Lawyer Profile: Mark Owens
Article Date: Tuesday, June 01, 2010
MARK WEST OWENS JR.
Residence: Farmville
Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (B.A.), Wake Forest University School of Law (J.D.)
Firm: Owens & Nelson
Practice areas: General practice with focus on civil litigation, personal injury law, estates, criminal and traffic law
On being a Citizen Lawyer: “I’ve reaped ten-fold the rewards from whatever good I’ve done for others.”
STORY
Mark Owens Jr. never chose to specialize in one specific area of the law. Instead, he’s chosen to specialize in serving his area in any way he could, both personally and professionally.
The Pitt County practice he has operated since the mid-1960s, for instance, has always been a truly general practice. Owens has represented clients in criminal and civil litigation as well as personal injury and estate-planning matters. His firm has also served clients in diverse areas such as real estate, domestic relations and business law.
He also has actively engaged in a wide array of community and civic activities, ranging from serving as a Sunday school teacher at his church to serving on the Pitt County School Board and Board of Commissioners.
“I’ve reaped ten-fold the rewards from whatever good I’ve done for others,” said Owens, who was recently honored for his community contributions by the N.C. Bar Association as a 2010 Citizen Lawyer award winner.
Owens’ said his community involvement actually might have helped him to launch his own firm early in his career.
Shortly after he hung up his shingle, he noticed that all of the little things he had done for others – such as his involvement with his church, civic clubs like Rotary and Kiwanis and other organizations – created clients for him. He also had done a substantial amount of pro bono work, which gave him exposure as well as served underprivileged persons in his community.
“To be successful as a young attorney, one needs to have the innate ability to want to be the best,” said Owens, who was inducted into the N.C. Bar Association’s General Practice Hall of Fame in 2002. “Young attorneys need to prepare, be ready and have a diligent work ethic.”
While operating his bustling legal practice, Owens has found time to serve for 25 years on the Pitt County School Board, including nearly two decades as its chair. He said he was inspired to serve on the school board by his mother, who was a teacher and principal.
Owens also has served on the county’s board of commissioners for 18 years, chairing it several times during his tenure.
As a member of the board, Owens is proud to have had a voice in bringing attention to East Carolina University and its medical school.
During the past two decades, Pitt County Memorial Hospital has evolved from a small, county-owned hospital to a large, privately owned non-profit regional hospital affiliated with the ECU medical school, dental school and heart and cancer center.
This transformation has permitted Greenville and the surrounding areas to retain qualified doctors and grown the regional economy, Owens said.
About the Citizen Lawyer AwardThe NCBA Citizen Lawyer Award was established in 2007 to recognize lawyers whoprovide exemplary public service to their communities. Honorees include elected and appointed government officials, coaches, mentors and voluntary leaders of non-profit, civic and community organizations. Since 2007, there have 64 recipients of the award.
About the N.C. Bar Association
The North Carolina Bar Association, founded in 1899, is a voluntary organization of lawyers, paralegals and law students dedicated to serving the public and the legal profession. The N.C. Bar Center in Cary serves as headquarters for the NCBA and the NCBA Foundation, Inc. Though similar, the NCBA (www.ncbar.org) and the mandatory North Carolina State Bar (www.ncbar.gov) are not affiliated.
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