Micah D. Hall on Service, Mentorship and Solo Success

Micah, a Black woman with brown hair, wears a red suit and a pearl necklace.

Micah D. Hall

As a child, Micah D. Hall often watched the mystery legal drama “Matlock” with her mom and first began dreaming of becoming a lawyer. She was fascinated by how every case was solved before the credits rolled and wanted to be that same problem-solver for others one day. Years later, as an attorney, she learned real life is far more complicated than the way events unfold on-screen — and far more human. That realization shaped the servant-minded practice she would go on to build.

A first-generation college student, Hall earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri-Kansas City before attending Washington University School of Law. Today, she is a Charlotte-based solo practitioner at The Hall Law Firm LLC, an estate planning, probate and trust administration firm serving clients in Charlotte and St. Louis. Her path to solo practice stemmed from prior work as an assistant attorney general for the state of Missouri, where she filed claims on behalf of state agencies and handled probate matters.

Micah is looking at the camera in a group of law school graduates. She is photographed in her doctoral regalia and is smiling.

Hall, center, at her graduation from Washington University School of Law, 2003.

In her role, she observed how individuals’ families were often negatively impacted when a loved one passed away before creating a plan for their estate.

“There was a time when I didn’t fully understand probate. It wasn’t until I was in court and saw people with limited means having assets taken away from their families that the process began to click. It’s disheartening to see someone work hard to buy a house, get sick and lose what they have to state agencies and credit card companies that file claims because they didn’t have a proper estate plan,” she said.

Her experience in this position shaped her interest in learning more about trust services and administration. Hall later joined Edward Jones Trust Company as a trust associate, where she developed the key drafting skills needed of a probate professional.

Through her professional experiences, she witnessed the significance of inheritance planning, and events in her personal life also helped to solidify her commitment to serving her clients. Hall was raised by hardworking parents, but estate planning wasn’t something they prioritized. After her parents divorced and her father remarried, he died in 2007 without an estate plan.

Micah, a Black woman with black hair, wears a blue shirt and black suit. She is standing outside.

Hall was an assistant attorney general from 2004 to 2006.

Following the death of her father, she went through probate on her own. She learned how difficult it can be to navigate through grief and complicated family dynamics. Reflecting on this time, Hall recalls how her mom realized that having an estate plan was crucial.

“I was able to counsel my mom so we wouldn’t have to go through this with her. When clients come in, it’s nice being able to let them know that I understand. I give them peace of mind and a shared experience, letting them know the process is necessary to reach their goals, but that they’re going to be okay by the end of it.”

Her personal experiences helped expand her compassion and empathy and further solidified her desire to serve others by drawing on her role in the law and in trust administration. Knowing this, Hall threw herself into the work she was so passionate about. But after years working for the government, corporations and billable-hour firms, she realized she wanted to prioritize more work-life balance.

Micah a Black woman with brown hair, wears a grey blouse. Her husband, a Black man with a beard, wears a blue shirt. Her daughter wears a grey sweater and her son wears a blue shirt. They are standing outside.

Hall, third from left, with her husband, far right, and children.

With a young son at home, Hall would catch herself responding to emails at his sports games instead of enjoying those special moments with her full attention. The idea of becoming a solo practitioner struck her — she knew she could spend more quality time with her family while also filling a gap in the field through her background and experience.

“There’s not many people of color that practice estate planning and probate. Why not start my own practice? Having that ability for my community to say, ‘Hey, I’m here! I do this, I enjoy it, and I can help you,’ encouraged me to put myself out there and create an opportunity I could capitalize on,” she said.

On July 1, 2026, Hall will begin her 15th year as a solo practitioner at The Hall Law Firm. She reached this milestone after going through several challenges and seasons of change. One of the changes that stands out to her the most was her decision to move to Charlotte in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I wanted something different and had family that recently moved to the Charlotte area, so it seemed like a good fit. And, of course, moving to a state with reciprocity was a plus, so I didn’t have to take another bar exam. However, making this life switch during that unpredictable time came with its own set of challenges for my firm: getting contacts and finding clients, understanding how the court system worked in North Carolina, trying to find mentors and getting immersed in the state’s legal culture.”

She remembered her bar service involvement while living in Missouri, including her time as president of the Mound City Bar Association, the oldest Black bar association west of the Mississippi River. There, she learned how beneficial associations can be in providing resources to make contacts, gain referrals and build connections. When she struggled to build that foundation for her solo practice in Charlotte, she knew she needed to find another bar service outlet in North Carolina. Hall’s professional home became the North Carolina Bar Association’s Estate Planning and Fiduciary Section, where several members became integral mentors, including Paula Kohut, Stacy Reid Monroe and past section chair Janice Davies.

“These women asked me if I wanted to speak on panels or serve on committees, and their guidance has been essential. It meant a lot that they shared their knowledge of estate planning, practice management and confidence in our expertise area with me.”

Micah, a Black woman with black hair, wears a white and black shirt and black glasses. Janice, a white woman with blond hair, wears a blue shirt and white blazer.

Hall, left, with Janice Davies at the Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law Section annual meeting in Kiawah, South Carolina, in July 2024.

Inspired by that support, Hall now prioritizes mentoring other attorneys.

“I’ve always taken people under my wing if they have questions. One thing I love about NCBA is how collegiate it is. I’ve never heard anybody say no when I ask a question, so I’m not going to say no.

“Being involved in bar service work has always been important to me, and I love that it allows me to give back in some way, whether it’s showing up to support NCBA events, volunteering for North Carolina Bar Foundation programs like Wills for Heroes or offering mentor services of my own to thank everyone who’s done the same for me along the way — continuously doing what I can to help solve others’ problems, or at the very least, steer them in the right direction.”

Micah, a Black woman with brown hair, wears a black and white blouse. She is photographed with another volunteer, and they are standing in front of the NCBF logo sign.

Hall wants to be remembered as a servant — someone who is approachable, helpful and dependable.

“When I was in law school, my friends gave me the nickname Miss Congeniality. ‘You’re so even-keeled. Everybody likes you!’ I had to learn not to be a people pleaser, but at the same time, it’s in my personality to make sure everybody’s okay and that I’m doing my part to make sure people are good. That’s what I mean by being a servant — making sure whatever I can contribute, I do.”

Those values are the pillars her practice is built on, values she has cultivated throughout her years as an attorney. Hall recognizes that probate “legalese” can feel intimidating and that some lawyers can come off as “too stuffy” to clients. Because she is often her clients’ first interaction with an attorney, she works to make the experience as painless as possible through clarity, hands-on support and relatability.

“Yes, I have the credentials and the background, but I’m also a person. I’m a mom. I go to the grocery store and see clients sometimes. I’m funny. I have friends and go out to dance and party. I want people to see that my job is important to me and I love what I do, but I’m also more than that.”

Hall is grateful to have a career in which she assists and advises others. When clients return to The Hall Law Firm with family members in crisis after experiencing her support during their own difficult times, she sees the long arc of trust come full circle. Hall is fulfilled knowing she has achieved her goal of establishing a successful, servant-minded practice.

Alana Moore is a marketing specialist for the North Carolina Bar Association.