NCBF Announces 4 New Named Endowment Funds

May 22, 2026

On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, the North Carolina Bar Foundation introduced two new Justice Funds and two new Lawyer Impact Funds. The honorees were announced during a dedication ceremony at the Bar Center.

The Fred D. Hutchison Justice Fund was created by the Hutchison Law Group and supports the NCBF Open Door Fund Endowment. The Janet Ward Black Justice Fund was instituted by Janet Ward Black’s planned gift of support. The Janet Ward Black Justice Fund will help to advance North Carolina Bar Association and NCBF pro bono programs that address the “access to justice gap,” including the NC Lawyers on Call (“4ALL”) pro bono program.

The Pender R. McElroy and J. Mitchell Aberman Lawyer Impact Funds were endowed by Pender McElroy. They will promote programs that provide access to justice in the state.

NCBA Executive Director Jason Hensley and President Rob Harrington offered remarks during the program.

“The Funds that we are dedicating today enhance the Foundation’s ability to mobilize members of the North Carolina Bar Association to serve the people of North Carolina through pro bono, civic education and professionalism-focused programs,” said Hensley.

“Your generous support helps to ensure that the Foundation is well-positioned to help address North Carolina’s unmet legal needs and provide relief to those we serve. This important legal work is something that only we — as members of the legal profession — can do. And, together, we are doing great things.”

Harrington highlighted the comprehensive accomplishments of the NCBF in 2025-2026.

“This bar year, the Foundation has mobilized over 766 NCBA members to serve 19,532 North Carolinians through pro bono and civic education programs that engage lawyers, judges, law students and paralegals in service to their communities statewide. The NCBF Endowment distributed over $590,000 to support highly impactful programs and projects that advance the Foundation’s mission and values, thanks to the commitment of our dedicated volunteers and donors.

“We are so happy to come together to celebrate new Foundation Justice Funds and Lawyer Impact Funds that have been created by family and friends of the attorneys for whom these have been named. These attorneys shared a commitment to the legal profession, service and generosity.”

Following Hensley’s and Harrington’s opening remarks, the Fred D. Hutchison Justice Fund was announced. Justyn J. Kasierski, managing partner for Hutchison PLLC, honored Hutchison for his commitment to service. Hutchison, who spoke after Kasierski, said that the grant will support the NCBF Open Door Fund, which aims to increase diversity, equality and inclusion within the legal field.

During his speech, Hutchison acknowledged the 2025-2026 Open Door fellows Fangzhou “Esther” Dong and Daiana Mendoza-Acosta, who were present at the event.

Audrey A. Snyder offered remarks on the Janet Ward Black Justice Fund. Snyder reflected on Janet Ward’s influence on her practice and life and Janet Ward’s dedication to improving access to justice. Gerard H. Davidson Jr., whose late wife was Janet Ward, spoke next. He celebrated her mentorship, kindness and generosity.

Following the Justice Fund presentations, the Lawyer Impact Funds were introduced. George R. Hausen Jr., the founding president and former executive director of Legal Aid of North Carolina, emphasized Pender R. McElroy’s contributions to the profession. Pender R. McElroy, retired partner at James McElroy & Diehl PA, addressed attendees last. McElroy commended J. Mitchell Aberman’s devotion to the law and philanthropic mindset.

After the ceremony, attendees were invited to the Galleria. Harrington presided over the unveiling of the two new Justice Fund plaques. The Lawyer Impact Funds honorees were recognized through images displayed on screens in the Galleria.

The biographies of the four honorees are listed below.

Fred D. Hutchison

After graduating from Raleigh’s Needham B. Broughton High School in 1967, Hutchison entered the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and majored in Business Administration. He graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors from UNC, and like many of his friends, he decided to pursue a law degree. He began his legal education at the University of Virginia School of Law. He graduated in 1975 with Order of the Coif honors.

Hutchison practiced law for five years with Covington & Burling, the largest firm in Washington, D.C. At that point, Hutchison and his wife, Nancy, made the decision to return to North Carolina. For the first part of his career in North Carolina, Hutchison practiced with large business law firms — Moore & Van Allen and Petree Stockton & Robinson (now Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton).

A key event in his career happened in 1982, when his partner Arch Allen asked him to attend a meeting of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce focused on start-up companies. At that time, while North Carolina had high-caliber students and top-tier research universities, it had a very small start-up community. If you wanted to read about emerging tech and biotech companies, you had to subscribe to the San Jose Mercury.

That meeting led to the formation of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development and the CED Venture Fair, both of which are still going strong after more than 40 years. Hutchison was the founding President of CED and worked tirelessly to build the needed entrepreneurial infrastructure for North Carolina. The initial goal of CED was to encourage university professors and researchers to start companies that would be based on technology licensed from the universities.

Missing from the formula for economic success was experienced management personnel. With the downsizing of IBM, the merger of Burroughs Wellcome into Glaxo, and the merger of Glaxo into Smith Kline, this gap began to be filled by folks who wanted to remain in the Triangle.

Thirty years ago, Hutchison concluded that there was a better model for providing legal service to emerging tech and life science companies and, along with his colleagues, formed Hutchison PLLC. It was modeled after a firm in Silicon Valley and another firm on Route 128 in Boston. The firm’s focus was on representing tech, life science and Ag tech companies in the Southeast, with special emphasis on companies spinning out of research universities.

In 2006, the Governor of NC awarded Hutchison for this work the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest civilian honor awarded by the State. Just recently, Triangle Business Journal recognized Hutchison with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work with life science companies. These recognitions and others were based on Hutchison’s work with hundreds of entrepreneurial companies since 1984 and in building the entrepreneurial ecosystem across NC.

In addition, Hutchison recognized that as a lawyer, he had an obligation to support and grow the business environment in the Research Triangle. He served as Chair of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce from 1993 to 1994, during which time the first nonstop international flight was launched from RDU to London, and Forbes recognized the Triangle as the number one place to do business. Hutchison also served as Chair of First Flight Venture Center, the first Chair of the Raleigh Sports Council and as Chair of the Triangle Community Foundation.

Hutchison has represented (and invested in) numerous start-up companies over his career and advised them on mistakes often made by early-stage companies. He believed that success comes from perseverance, having a compelling idea, having a strong and experienced team and identifying investors who understood the idea. He also believed that a “venture lawyer” had to be proactive in assisting their clients, be a confidant of the client and be proactive in providing advice to these young companies. “We are not brokers; the company’s founders have to raise the capital, but we can certainly introduce them to people who might have an interest. At the end of the day, the key to fundraising is perseverance and calling on a large number of qualified investors who liked the idea.”

He always told younger lawyers, “One goal is to advise our clients with a balance of common sense, business advice and legal constraints.” Hutchison loved the excitement of working with start-ups. The founders were usually the smartest folks in the world in their particular field. In most cases, the technology was disruptive; that is, it provided a way to solve a problem that was cheaper, faster, more accurate or more effective than the current solutions. Once the company was sold, the founders stayed with the buyer for two or three years before the urge to start a new company appeared, and they would call Hutchison. And the cycle would begin again.

Janet Ward Black

Janet Ward Black was a remarkable attorney, leader and public servant whose life and career left an enduring mark on North Carolina’s legal community. Her legacy continues through the countless people she served, the institutions she strengthened and the example she set for generations of lawyers to come. The Janet Ward Black Justice Fund, which she generously funded through her estate, will sustain critical pro bono programs that address North Carolina’s access to justice gap, ensuring that legal help reaches those who need it most.

A graduate of Davidson College and Duke University School of Law, Janet Ward brought intelligence, strength and compassion to every chapter of her career. Early on, she broke barriers as the first female assistant district attorney in Rowan County, and she helped open doors for women in a profession where leadership opportunities were still too often limited. From the start, she was known for her courage, discipline and unwavering sense of purpose.

She later founded Ward Black Law in Greensboro and built it into one of North Carolina’s most respected woman-owned law firms. Her practice focused on representing individuals and families facing some of life’s most difficult moments — those harmed by workplace injuries, vehicle crashes, defective products and environmental hazards. Janet Ward understood that for many clients, legal representation meant far more than a case result. It meant being heard, protected and treated with dignity. She built her career around that belief.

Janet Ward’s influence extended well beyond her own clients and her own firm. She was one of North Carolina’s most respected leaders in the legal profession. She served as president of both the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers and the North Carolina Bar Association and Foundation. She was only the second lawyer in state history to hold both roles, which reflects the extraordinary respect she earned across the profession. In each position, she brought vision, energy, and a deep commitment to service.

Among her most lasting contributions was the creation of the North Carolina Bar Association’s 4ALL (NC Lawyers on Call) pro bono program. Launched during her bar presidency, NC Lawyers on Call connects people across the state with volunteer attorneys who could provide free legal information and guidance. The program became a powerful response to the justice gap in North Carolina, opening the door to legal help for thousands who otherwise might have faced their problems alone. It was a natural expression of Janet Ward’s belief that the legal profession carries a responsibility not only to excel, but to serve.

That commitment to access to justice defined Janet Ward’s life. She was a devoted supporter of Legal Aid of North Carolina and served as vice chair of its board. She understood that for too many people, justice depends on whether they can afford a lawyer, and she worked tirelessly to change that reality. She believed that legal help should not be reserved for the few, but made available to all, especially to those facing hardship, instability or crisis.

As an educator, motivational speaker, and community leader, she also believed deeply in mentorship and in preparing the next generation to lead. For 35 years, she spoke at Tar Heel Girls State, encouraging young women to pursue lives of leadership, service and professional purpose. She was a trailblazer herself, but she never saw achievement as something to keep. She shared it, modeled it and used it to lift others.

In May 2025, Janet Ward was recognized as the inaugural recipient of the Trailblazer Award for Women in the Law. The award, presented to her by the NCBA Women in the Profession Committee, honors an individual who demonstrates excellence in her area of practice, unending professionalism and the persistent promotion and protection of other women in the legal profession. Last October, she was inducted into the NCBA Legal Practice Hall of Fame.

Her many honors reflect a life of exceptional accomplishment, yet they tell only part of her story. She was not only an outstanding lawyer; she was a generous colleague, a trusted mentor and a steadfast advocate for fairness and compassion in the law. She showed what it means to combine professional excellence with humanity and success with service.

Janet Ward’s life of service was a testament to her Christian faith. She devoted her life to serving others — through her work as an attorney, her leadership in the community and her ministry of generosity and encouragement. Her heart for people reflected her favorite scripture from Matthew 25: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” She walked humbly with God, loved deeply and left behind a legacy of faith in action.

A Justice Fund dedicated in Janet Ward Black’s memory is a continuation of the work she believed in so deeply and an expression of her endless generosity. By sustaining vital pro bono programs, the Janet Ward Black Justice Fund will help ensure that more people receive the legal help they need and deserve. That mission reflects Janet Ward’s values in the clearest possible way.

Pender R. McElroy

Pender McElroy began his legal career in 1968 as a law clerk for Justice William H. Bobbitt in the N.C. Supreme Court. In 1969, he joined Herbert, James & Williams (now James, McElroy & Diehl) in Charlotte, where he served as managing partner with the firm from 1984 to 2014. He practiced there until his retirement in 2018 after being licensed as an attorney for 50 years.

McElroy is originally from Western North Carolina. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. While in college, he was a member of the NROTC and served as commander of the drill team. Following his graduation from UNC, he served in the U.S. Army from 1962 to 1965 and was stationed in West Germany and served as a Russian linguist. He received his law degree from UNC School of Law. There, he served on the North Carolina Law Review, as chair of the Speakers Program and was on the Board of Aldermen of Odum Village.

McElroy served as the President of Mecklenburg County Bar from 1994 to 1995 and as a member of the Mecklenburg County Bar board for several terms. He served for four terms on the board of the Mecklenburg Bar Foundation and as a board member and chair of Legal Aid of North Carolina.

He received the NCBA Thorpe Pro Bono Service Award, and he was recognized as a 2012 recipient of the NCBA Citizen Lawyer Award. He was a 2019 Ayscue Award winner, and in 2020, he was inducted into the NCBA Legal Practice Hall of Fame.

McElroy has served his community in many leadership roles, with a particular commitment to mental health and access to justice. He is a former board member and board chair of Mental Health America; served as a member and chair of the N.C. Commission on Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse; and was also a member and chair of Crisis Assistance Ministry in Charlotte. In addition, he volunteered with Urban Ministry of Charlotte and serves as an elder at First Presbyterian Church in Charlotte.

Mitchell “Mickey” Aberman

Mickey Aberman is a transactional business lawyer, licensed in North Carolina and South Carolina. His practice consists primarily of counseling clients on business matters and negotiating and structuring transactions for midsized businesses. He has particular expertise in information and certain health-care technologies, complex finance and tax issues, corporate governance and the application of accounting principles and audit practices.

Aberman started his career focusing on initial public offerings and private securities offerings. He soon moved into a litigation practice that included working on soft drink antitrust litigation that still comprises one of the largest antitrust cases in the Southeast to date. He made a conscious effort to curtail his litigation practice about twenty years ago, but he occasionally supports his partners in complex cases.

He has maintained a fairly active pro bono practice. For a time, he took appointed cases in South Carolina, where he handled primarily child abuse cases and served as a guardian ad litem. He also served as a Special Assistant Attorney General in South Carolina, prosecuting criminal domestic violence.

Recently, Aberman has been certified as a Superior Court mediator, and he plans to help parties settle business-related disputes.

Aberman has a bachelor’s degree in commerce and a law degree from the University of Virginia. He also obtained an MBA from the University of South Carolina.

Aberman founded and leads Visart, Inc., a nonprofit arts organization, in Charlotte. He also serves on the Board of the National Association of Counsel for Children. He previously served for 16 years as a board member and officer of Temple Beth El and has served as an officer and board member of various other organizations. He is married to Linda MacDonald and has three adult children.