2026 Citizen Lawyer Awards
To recognize and thank lawyers who, in addition to their legal work, exemplify the ideals of a citizen lawyer by volunteering their time for worthy community or civic causes to improve the quality of life of those in their local or statewide communities.
Kayla D. Britt
Kayla Britt, known as the Fairy Law Mother, is an attorney and advocate dedicated to empowering law students and young lawyers by bridging opportunity gaps within the legal profession. A graduate of North Carolina Central University School of Law, she began her legal career as a judicial law clerk at the North Carolina Court of Appeals and currently serves as an Assistant Attorney General with the North Carolina Department of Justice.
Through her Fairy Law Mother platform, launched in 2023, Kayla has expanded her impact nationwide by connecting aspiring and early-career attorneys with jobs, internships, scholarships, mentorship, and professional development resources. Her work has earned statewide recognition, including honors from North Carolina Bar Association, North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, and the Triangle Association of Legal Recruiters. Kayla often presents on networking, professionalism, branding, digital presence, and accessibility in the legal profession, continuing to shape and support the next generation of legal leaders.
Jason F. Hicks
Jason F. Hicks is a deputy county attorney with Guilford County, North Carolina. He is licensed in both Tennessee and North Carolina. Over the course of his career, he has practiced family/divorce law, probate, and civil litigation, as well as elder law, juvenile law, and local government law. He serves as the community involvement committee and the fellows committee chairman for the Greensboro Bar Association. He is currently the Immediate Past President of the North Carolina DSS Attorney’s Association.
With the North Carolina State Bar Association, he serves on the BarCARES Board of Directors, the Councils for the Local Government and Public Sector Section and Juvenile Justice and Children’s Rights Council. He is a frequent speaker at legal education seminars having presented over seventy-five CLE presentations. He is a member of the Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity and is the chief legal advisor. He is a master member and vice-president of the Guilford Chapter, American Inn of Courts and the Chair for the Program Review Committee, American Inn of Courts.
He received his B.A. degree from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville and his J.D. degree from Faulkner University, Thomas Goode Jones School of Law. Outside of the profession, he is involved in the Masonic fraternity, the United Methodist Church, and Scouting America (Boy Scouts). He is married to Dr. Megan Henley Hicks and they have two children, John Howard Hicks, II (“Jack”) and Elizabeth Jane Hicks (“Libby”).
Michael Mitchell
Mike Mitchell is a trial and appellate lawyer with more than 30 years of experience in state and federal courts. He co-chairs Smith Anderson’s Litigation team and the Intellectual Property Litigation practice, where he advises clients on business strategies for resolving complex disputes. Mike has tried cases in all three federal districts in North Carolina and in numerous counties across the State, and he regularly appears in the North Carolina Business Court, including in matters designated as Exceptional by the Chief Justice.
Mike has been appointed to several key roles supporting the administration of justice in North Carolina, including the Chief Justice’s Rules Advisory Commission, with appointments from Chief Justices Mark Martin, Cheri Beasley, and Paul Newby, as well as the Commission for the Administration of Law and Justice. He was also appointed by the Governor to the North Carolina General Statutes Commission.
Mike has been an active leader in the North Carolina Bar Association and the broader legal community throughout his career. Beyond the courtroom, Mike has dedicated significant time and leadership to communities and organizations that strengthen North Carolina’s courts, support veterans, advance education, and promote economic opportunity.
James (“Jim”) Battle Morgan, Jr.
James (“Jim”) Battle Morgan, Jr., of Wilmington, is a supervising attorney with Legal Aid of North Carolina and co-manager of its domestic violence/family law practice group. He is a member of the NC Bar Association’s Appellate Practice section and served as co-chair of the foundation’s Law-Related Education Advisory Committee. Through LREA, he chaired the Project Citizen sub-committee, volunteered with Lawyers for Literacy, and participated in numerous mock trial projects statewide and nationally.
He served on the board of directors of Cape Fear Habitat of Humanity for 15 years including two years as Board President. He has also served as board president of Domestic Violence Shelter & Services, the Wilmington Jaycees, and as the head of multiple other civic and community organizations. His community service extends globally through his participation in international construction missions, and a stint teaching English is southern Thailand. He is a Certified Parliamentarian and member of the American Institute of Parliamentarians. Additionally, he is a Fellow of the North Carolina Institute of Public Leadership and serves on the New Hanover County Board of Elections. Jim previously practiced law in the private sector and earned the Bar Association’s Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award.