Citizen Lawyer Profile: Tom Ross
Article Date: Tuesday, June 01, 2010
THOMAS W. ROSS
Residence: Charlotte
Education: Davidson College (B.A.), University of North Carolina School of Law (J.D.)
Occupation: President, Davidson College
On being a Citizen Lawyer: “I have gotten far more out of each opportunity than I have contributed … [and] my life is much, much richer as a result of my opportunities.”
STORY
When he was a student at Davidson College in the early 1970s, Tom Ross worked an unpaid internship with Legal Aid. Looking back at the experience, he said it gave him an understanding of the importance of justice, and it made him want to be of service to others.
“Every job has been an opportunity to serve in some way – whether to improve individual situations or societal situations,” said Ross, a 2010 recipient of the N.C. Bar Association’s Citizen Lawyer award. “And I have gotten far more out of each opportunity than I have contributed. My life is much, much richer as a result of my opportunities.”
Whether directing a nonprofit, working with the N.C. Sentencing Commission or serving in his current role as the leader of a major university, Ross has given each task his fullest attention. It’s the trait of one who has never backed away from the responsibilities and gifts that come with being a lawyer.
“I’m very, very proud to be a lawyer,” said Ross, a UNC law school graduate who went on to teach at UNC’s School of Government, practice at a Greensboro law firm and serve as Congressman Robin Britt’s chief of staff – all within a decade’s time.
Appointed as the youngest Superior Court Judge in the state in 1984, Ross served 17 years on the bench, discovering along the way there were flaws in the state’s criminal justice system. He eventually chaired the N.C. Sentencing Commission, which resulted in a structured sentencing system that has since been used as a model for other states as well as for the American Law Institute’s upcoming revisions to the Model Sentencing Code provisions.
“It was something that really mattered,” Ross said. Ross has taken on several other roles in his career, including a stint with the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and as executive director of the Administrative Office of the Courts. He currently is serving as the president of his alma mater, Davidson College, where he has overseen the college’s establishment of new partnerships with local school districts in an effort to share its wealth of resources with the community.
As he tells students who seek his advice about whether to apply to law school, he believes his attachment to the legal profession has been critical at every stage of his life. “I have had opportunities that have enriched me in many ways,” Ross said, “and each opportunity builds on the other.”
About the Citizen Lawyer Award
The NCBA Citizen Lawyer Award was established in 2007 to recognize lawyers who provide 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.