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Public: Recent News

Justice Mark Martin

Judge James Wynn

SAN FRANCISCO – Annual meetings of the American Bar Association and the National Association of Bar Executives included extensive representation and recognition for members of the North Carolina Bar Association.

Of particular note in regard to the ABA, which concluded its festivities Tuesday, was the appointment of two North Carolina judges to leadership positions in the Judicial Division.

Judge James A. Wynn Jr. of the N.C. Court of Appeals is the new chair of the ABA Judicial Division and Justice Mark Martin of the N.C. Supreme Court will serve as the new program chair.

Incoming ABA President William H. “Bill” Neukom put the distinguished jurists to work early by calling upon them to host the N.C. Rule of Law Conference in July. The event, staged at the N.C. Bar Center in Cary, was the third in a series of pilot conferences conducted under the auspices of the World Justice Project.

Official NCBA representation in San Francisco was provided by President Janet Ward Black of Greensboro and President-Elect Charles Becton of Raleigh. Scores of NCBA members were also in attendance, including Past-President Larry McDevitt of Asheville who currently serves on the ABA Board of Governors.

Tom Purdy, left, accepts award from Toby Brown, center, and Allan Head.

On the Weston front, NCBA Executive Director Allan Head completed his one-year term as president of the NABE. Formal passing of the gavel transpired on Thursday, Aug. 9, at which time Evelyn Sullivan, executive director of the Lancaster County (Pa.) Bar Association, was installed.

The ceremony also included recognition of the NABE’s new Information Technology Section and initial presentation of the section’s service award. Section Chair Toby Brown presented this award to the NCBA IT Director Tom Purdy in recognition of his tireless efforts on behalf of the section in the past year.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and 20-year Navy veteran, Purdy came to the NCBA in 2001 as the first director of its information technology department.

Michelle L. Frazier

NCBA staff members were involved in numerous aspects of the NABE and National Association of Bar Foundation events, including Michelle L. Frazier, assistant executive director and newly installed chair of the NABE Governmental Relations Section.

A 1996 graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law, Frazier joined the NCBA in 2001 as its director of governmental relations. She has remained active in legislative matters and section activities since becoming assistant executive director in 2004.