2026 Legal Practice Hall of Fame Honorees
Induction into the Legal Practice Hall of Fame recognizes a lifetime of exemplary service and high ethical and professional standards. The recipients serve as role models for lawyers across North Carolina.
Doris R. Bray
A native of Reidsville, North Carolina, Doris R. Bray earned her A.B. from Lake Erie College in 1959, followed by a master’s degree in American studies from Yale University in 1960, where she was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow. Bray later received her J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1966, where she served as editor-in-chief of The North Carolina Law Review and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. Bray graduated first in her class at both Lake Erie College and UNC School of Law.
Following law school, Bray clerked for Judge J. Spencer Bell of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and later appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court as the appellant in the precedent-setting “Alford case.” She served as an associate and later partner at Smith Moore Smith Schell & Hunter before becoming a partner at Smith Helms Mulliss & Moore. In 1987, she became a founding partner of Schell Bray PLLC, where she served as both partner and member until 2017 and continues to serve as of counsel. Her practice areas focus on corporations, business transactions and securities regulation.
Throughout her career, she has served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards, including Cone Mills Corp., Vanguard Cellular Systems, Lawyers Mutual Liability Insurance Co. of North Carolina, First Greensboro Home Equity, Georgia Lawyers Insurance Co., Richardson Corp., Piedmont Financial Trust Co. and Family Services of the Piedmont.
Bray served on the NCBA Board of Governors (1977-80), was the founding chair of the NCBA Business Law Section (1979-81) and has served as chair of the NCBA Senior Lawyers Division (2021-22). She also served as president of the Greensboro Bar Association, UNC Law Alumni Association and UNC Law Foundation. She was vice chairman and later chairman of the North Carolina General Statutes Commission and contributed to drafting committees for the North Carolina Business Corporation Act and Nonprofit Corporation Act.
Her contributions to legal education include serving as an adjunct professor or lecturer at the law schools of UNC, Duke and Wake Forest, as well as lecturing for the NCBA Bar Review Course.
Beyond the legal profession, she has remained engaged in civic activities through organizations including the Morehead Scholarship District Selection Committee, Altrusa Club of Greensboro, the Greensboro YMCA, Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, Girl Scouts and the UNC and Elon College (now Elon University) Board of Visitors.
Among her many honors, Bray has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for more than 40 years and recognized by Business North Carolina as part of its “Legal Elite” since the program’s inception, including entering the publication’s Hall of Fame in 2005. She received the Distinguished Alumna Award from Lake Erie College, the Distinguished Alumni Award and Lifetime Achievement Award from UNC School of Law, the Greensboro Bar Association Distinguished Service Award and North Carolina’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine. In 2003, Lake Erie College awarded her an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, and in 2025 she served as commencement speaker for the college’s graduation ceremony.
David W. Long
A native of Punxsutawney, PA., David migrated South in 1960 to attend Duke University and has never left. After graduating from UNC Law in 1967, he joined the Raleigh firm of Poyner, Geraghty, Hartsfield & Townsend. Other than the years 1969-1971 when he was with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, he has been a Poyner attorney.
After returning to Poyner in early 1972, David worked to establish what had been an almost nonexistent litigation practice. The Federal Judges continued to appoint him to criminal cases while he helped develop the civil practice In his almost 60 years he has had over 100 jury trials in the State and Federal Courts of North Carolina and a three month criminal trial in New Hampshire. In addition to North Carolina he has appeared in Federal Courts in South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, New York and Arizona and has appeared in the 1st, 4th, and 11th Federal Court of Appeals.
On the civil side his clients included tobacco manufacturers and dealers and automobile manufacturers. His practice in the last 20-25 years has largely been white collar criminal in State and Federal Courts. His clients have included a wide range including Judges, attorneys, 3 sitting State Legislators, and a Governor’s Campaign Committee.
He has served as President of the 10th Judicial District Bar, as a State Bar Counselor, on the State Bar DHC and on many other Statewide committees. He is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, International Society of Barristers and an Associate of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He has received the Wake County Bar Joseph Branch Professionalism Award, the David W. Daniel Award presented by the Eastern District of North Carolina Chapter of the Federal Bar Association for Excellence in the Legal Community and the John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award presented by the North Carolina State Bar. He has been blessed to have worked with and against many talented attorneys and staff and has had a lasting friendship with opposing counsel.
Between them, David and his wife, Nina, have four children and three grandchildren and hope for more to come. From a prior marriage, David has a step daughter and her three children.
Charles K. McCotter, Jr.
The Journey of a Trial Lawyer
I was born in New Bern, North Carolina, in 1946. I graduated from New Bern High School in 1964 and from the University of North Carolina in 1968 with a B.S. in Business. In August 1968, I married the love of my life, Pat Byrum of Edenton. A month later, I attended the University of North Carolina School of Law and graduated and passed the North Carolina bar exam in 1971.
Our first daughter Ginny was born in September 1970 as I entered my 3rd year of law school and our daughter Trish was born in 1976, while I practiced law. Pat and I raised our girls in New Bern, spending many wonderful days boating, fishing, and swimming in the coastal waters of eastern North Carolina.
In 1971, I began my legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable John D. Larkins Jr., United States District Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina. On January 1, 1973, I set up my solo law practice in my hometown of New Bern. I developed a trial practice and quickly learned that hard work and preparation were the keys to success.
In August 1979, I was appointed as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina. I tried many complex federal civil cases, including many admiralty and maritime cases such as boating accidents and crewmember injury. I helped develop alternative dispute resolution in the Eastern District which paralleled similar development in the North Carolina state courts. I find that the key to successful mediation is patience and active listening to determine the needs and goals of the parties.
I retired from the federal bench in 1995 at the age of 48 and returned to private practice. I now have my own solo law practice in New Bern. I have faith in the Rule of Law and in a judiciary that stands firm, separate, and independent. I have passion for the practice of law, serving my clients to the best of my ability and striving always to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with my God.
Pat and I continue this journey together. She supports me, encourages me, and listens to me patiently. We love spending time with our children and grandchildren, whether in the salt air of the coast or the cool breezes of the mountains.
— Charles K. (Ken) McCotter, Jr.
Dan J. McLamb
Dan McLamb has been a civil litigator in North Carolina for his entire career. Over the past 30 years, his practice has been primarily focused on defending professional liability cases, as well as general liability cases with significant exposure. He has tried over 100 jury cases to verdict, state and federal, throughout North Carolina. In the past 25 years, most have been multi-week trials involving catastrophic injury claims. He represents hospitals, physicians, attorneys, and businesses.
Dan is one of the few attorneys in the state who has been honored by being chosen by his peers to be a member of the four primary national trial lawyer’s organizations: The American College of Trial Lawyers, The International Society of Barristers, The International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).
Dan has four times been named “Lawyer of the Year” for Raleigh in the category “Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants” by Best Lawyers and U.S. News and World Report. He has been included in the list of Best Lawyers for the past 18 consecutive years. He was voted as one of Business North Carolina magazine’s Legal Elite from 2001 – 2007. In 2007, he received the magazine’s top honor in the category of Litigation and has been included in the magazine’s Litigation “Hall of Fame” since that time. He has also been recognized in North Carolina Super Lawyers since its inception in 2007. In 13 separate years North Carolina Super Lawyers has listed Dan as one of the top 10 vote recipients among attorneys of all specialties in the state. On four occasions, he was North Carolina Super Lawyers’ top vote recipient. Since 2007, Chambers USA has named Dan one of the top health care litigators in North Carolina. Currently, Dan is listed as one of five North Carolina medical malpractice litigators in Chambers USA’s highest category, “Band 1.” In 2018 the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys established the Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy. This award recognizes members “who have demonstrated over their career sustained excellence advocating for their clients in legal proceedings while maintaining the highest degree of professionalism.” In 2019, Dan became the second attorney to receive this annual award.
A native of Benson, North Carolina, Dan graduated from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA in History, He received his JD degree from the UNC NC School of Law, graduating with honors. While in law school, he represented the school on its National Moot Court team at the National Final Rounds.
Dan has practiced in Raleigh his entire career. He was a founding partner of Yates, McLamb & Weyher, L.L.P. and practiced there until joining Batten McLamb Smith in 2023.
Dan is married to his former law partner of 40 years, Barbara B. (“Bonnie”) Weyher, and they have four sons and seven grandchildren. He is a devoted Tar Heel and enjoys ACC sports, travel, the North Carolina mountains, and, most of all, spending time with his family. Much of his free time is spent working with the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum (BRAHM), where he served as President of the Board of Trustees during the past two years. He is a member of Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church in Blowing Rock North Carolina.
Bradley N. Schulz
Bradley N. “Brad” Schulz is a partner in the Beaufort, North Carolina firm of Schulz Stephenson Law, where he practices law with his wife, Sundee G. Stephenson, who is a NC State Bar specialist in Family Law.
For over 40 years, Schulz has given back to the Johnston County and Carteret County communities where he has practiced. It all began when George B. Mast, a Past-President of the NCBA, encouraged Brad to come back to NC after law school graduation, and work with his firm. From day one, Mast encouraged Brad to out-work the opposition, and to also give back through participation with organizations such as the NCBA, the NC Academy of Trial Lawyers (now NC Advocates for Justice), and the community. Mast was an important mentor to Schulz, and they tried many jury trials together during his 23 year tenure in Smithfield. Schulz was the Managing Partner of the law firm, during his last 15 years in Smithfield, and assisted with the opening of the firm’s second office in Garner. Schulz served 10 years on the Johnston County Planning Board during a terrific time of residential and commercial development in Johnston County. He also gave of his time to Legal Services of Eastern N.C. and was given their Annual Award in 1988. Schulz also was mentored by Knox V. Jenkins, who later became the Sr. Resident Superior Court Judge in his District, and credits Judge Jenkins for exemplifying the professionalism that Schulz has tried to achieve. Additionally, John R. “Buddy” Wester, and Claud R. (Rob) Wheatly, III are cherished friends, role models, and mentors to Brad.
Schulz also served for six years as a Member, and two years as Chair of the Board of Crystal Coast Habitat for Humanity, and is proud of the number of homes that have been built by Habitat for qualified families in Carteret and Onslow County.
Bradley N. Schulz is a trial lawyer licensed since 1985 in North Carolina, New York and New Jersey, whose practice over the years includes many different areas of the law: Family Law, Civil Litigation, Construction Claims, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Estate Planning and Administration, Workers’ Compensation, and appeals to the North Carolina Court of Appeals, the North Carolina Supreme Court, and the United States Supreme Court.
Mr. Schulz was a Hankins scholar and 1981 graduate of Wake Forest University, and a 1984 graduate of the New York School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review. He is a member of the U.S Supreme Court Bar, North Carolina State Bar, New York State Bar, New Jersey State Bar, American Bar Association, NY Bar Association, as well as the NC Bar Association. He is also a past member of the Board of Governors of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, as well as a past member of the Board of Governors of the NCBA. Mr. Schulz has served as the Chair of the Law Practice Management Section of the NCBA, and is a past-Chair of the NCBA Transitioning Lawyers Commission. He is a past recipient of the Citizen-Lawyer Award from the NCBA. Mr. Schulz also presently serves as a member of the NC State Bar Disciplinary Hearing Commission.
Mr. Schulz has handled hundreds of family law matters and focuses on complicated custody disputes and complex property divisions (E.D.) cases. He has also tried numerous civil Superior Court cases to jury verdict in many counties of eastern NC. One of his fondest accomplishments was recently trying a civil jury trial in Carteret Superior Court with his wife (their first jury trial together) in the Fall of 2025, and receiving a $5.65M dollar verdict for their Plaintiff client.
Mr. Schulz is also an avid hunter and outdoorsman. He can be found on many Saturday mornings duck hunting in the Cedar Island, NC area, or out on “the Banks.” He also runs licensed field trials and hunt tests with his dogs. J.C.’s High Tech Double or Nothing “Gates”, MH-MNH, a wonderful Labrador retriever owned by Brad and Sundee, was inducted into the AKC Master National Retriever Club Hall of Fame.
Mr. Schulz has been an avid baseball player since his middle school years, and after relocating to Carteret County, began coaching in the Babe Ruth leagues, and thereafter at East Carteret High School, as well as the Jr. and Sr. American Legion leagues. He was proud to coach his son Blake, and to later see Blake matriculate to play baseball at Guilford College, and graduate with a joint degree. He is also proud of his son Trey’s accomplishments as a lineman, currently working in Michigan. His wife Sundee, a prominent family law attorney in Carteret County, is the glue that keeps the family together, and moving forward. Schulz cherishes her for her love and wisdom to him, as well as her thoughtful collaboration in many of his cases.
For over 15 years, Mr. Schulz has received an AV Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He has also achieved for many years, a 10.0 rating from AVVO. He is a past member of A.B.O.T.A., an invitation-only organization whose members have been certified to have tried many cases to jury verdict, who have practiced for many years as a trial attorney, and who have high ethical standards.
As a mentor himself, Schulz is also very proud of the accomplishments of Katherine Frye, current President of the NC State Bar. She was a law clerk at the Mast Schulz law firm while a student at Campbell Law School, and is a well-respected family law attorney in Raleigh, NC, who has risen to the highest level of leadership at the State Bar.
Schulz is humbled to be recognized by the NCBA with this honor, and to be selected to join the previous Hall of Fame inductees. He will tell you that his parents, George and May Jane Schulz, have been a driving force in his career, by giving him the love and encouragement to assist others in need.
John R. Wester
John R. Wester, attorney at Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson, has spent his entire career at Robinson Bradshaw. A Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina, he earned his law degree with high honors from Duke University School of Law, where he was Note & Comment Editor of the Duke Law Journal and inducted into the Order of the Coif.
He argued in the U.S. Supreme Court in Ford Motor Co. v. EEOC, the decision in which the Supreme Court, ruling for Ford Motor, established its precedent for cutting off employer liability in employment discrimination cases.
John served as lead counsel when then-Gov. James Martin and his cabinet were sued in a federal court class action challenging the constitutionality of employment practices in state government. The Fourth Circuit and trial court opinions in that case articulated the right of the governor and his cabinet to utilize policymaking positions to change the direction of state government. Since that case, John has served as lead counsel in cases brought by Governors Patrick McCrory, James B. Hunt, and Roy Cooper, against the General Assembly to protect gubernatorial authority via separation of powers.
John’s name is perhaps most familiar in legal circles with Hyatt v. Shalala, the landmark class action suit against the Social Security Administration on behalf of thousands of disabled citizens whose benefits had been denied or terminated.
John and Robinson Bradshaw, in partnership with Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, took the case through the federal courts for 18 years, including two reviews by the U.S. Supreme Court and five opinions by the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Approximately 150,000 North Carolinians won new disability hearings under new standards as a result, of this litigation.
Near the conclusion of Hyatt, the trial court observed: “Plaintiffs have succeeded in forcing the Social Security Administration to halt application of a secret, unlawful policy to its determination of hundreds of thousands of disability claims in North Carolina and, perhaps, to many hundreds of thousands more outside North Carolina. As a result of this case, plaintiffs have effected fundamental change to a recalcitrant agency which brought all of the power of the federal government to bear on Plaintiffs and their counsel while it resisted Plaintiffs’ efforts to enforce the orders of this court each step of the way.”
In 2021, John received the Advocate’s Award, the highest honor given by the North Carolina Bar Association’s Litigation Section. In 2025, John received the Ayscue Professionalism Award, the highest honor given by the Mecklenburg Bar Foundation. In 2026, NC Lawyers Weekly recognized John as an “Icon” in its Excellence in Law Awards. In 2019, John received the John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award from the North Carolina State Bar. In 2017, Duke Law School recognized John with the Charles S. Rhyne Award for Professional Achievement.
John is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, serving as state chair of the College in 2006-08. In 2009-10, John served as president of the North Carolina Bar Association and Foundation.
Colon Willoughby
Colon grew up on a farm near Tabor City in Columbus County and graduated from UNC, ECU where he received an MBA and finished in the Charter Class of Campbell Law School. He practiced law in Raleigh with Bass, Willoughby and Haywood before being elected District Attorney of Wake County in 1986. After serving for 27 years as Wake County District Attorney, he joined McGuireWoods LLP and continued to practice law. He and his wife Tricia have 2 daughters, sons-in-law and 5 perfect grandchildren in Raleigh. He has served as a deacon and elder of White Memorial Presbyterian Church.
Colon is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, served the North Carolina State Bar on its Council and as its President, He also served on the Disciplinary Hearing Commission, the North Carolina Criminal Justice Training and Standards Commission, as President of the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys and North Carolina District Attorneys Association and on the Board of Directors of the National District Attorneys Association. He has been awarded the Joseph Branch Professionalism Award, the North Carolina Bar Association Peter Gilchrist Award and The Order of the Long Leaf Pine.
Carolyn J. Woodruff
Carolyn Woodruff, JD, CPA, CVA is a visionary and leader in accounting, law, and banking. She is a preeminent lawyer, a Family Law Specialist, a North Carolina Certified Public Accountant, and a Certified Valuation Analyst with the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts. She is an instrument-rated multi-engine airplane pilot and regularly flies private aircraft. She was the first North Carolina female fellow in the distinguished American College of Tax Counsel. She has been a member of First Presbyterian Church since 2008. She is serving her third year on the church Finance Committee. Carolyn is also currently in the Project Review Committee for the church.
Carolyn was awarded The Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2022 by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper in recognition of her significant contributions to the state and to her community through exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments.
Since 2007, she has been selected to North Carolina Super Lawyers. She has been recognized since 2009 in Best Lawyers in America.
She holds a FinTech certification from Harvard Business School, where she did her Capstone paper on Central Bank Digital Currency in 2021. She holds AICPA badges in Blockchain and Cybersecurity. She is a frequent speaker on FinTech, including presentations to the NCACPA on “Demystifying FinTech” and “FinTech and Innovation.” She has lectured at Wake Forest Law School on FinTech and presented on “Fintech Innovation and Regulatory Sandboxes” to the North Carolina Banking Commission.
Through the North Carolina Association of CPAs (NCACPA), Carolyn has been a speaker and trailblazer in continuing education for CPAs who need knowledge of taxation related to divorce and business valuation in divorce in North Carolina. Carolyn has written many continuing education manuscripts, including “Financial Guide to Divorce in North Carolina” and “Business Valuation Principles in North Carolina.” She is skilled with both in person presentation and remote teaching for adult audiences.
She began her legal career with Tuggle Duggins and Meschan, P.A., where she became a principal and shareholder in only four short years. Following her tenure at Tuggle Duggins, she branched off and formed a law firm specializing in family law, where she remains today, serving as CEO and lead counsel in high profile, high net worth divorces.
She graduated from Duke Law School with High Honors, and she served as Research and Managing Editor of the Duke Law Review.