2025 Citizen Lawyer Award: Meredith Nicholson
After an idyllic childhood spent in the theatre and the library, Meredith (pronouns she/her/hers) surprised herself by decided to go to law school to “learn how things work.” Even more surprising was her experience in UNC’s Trial Advocacy class which cinched it – client representation was where the fun was!
Twenty plus years later (is anyone counting?), she’s still at it working every day with her best friend and colleague, Milan Pham at NicholsonPham, PLLC in historic downtown Durham. Together they tackle sexism, racism, and homophobia and attempt to bring some calm and rational thinking to the emotionally laden world of family law.
Along the way she’s had some fantastic experiences – teaching oral advocacy to Mexican lawyers, co-authoring a Spanish-English dictionary of legal terms, and serving on boards of the Women’s Birth and Wellness Center, the Hispanic/Latino Lawyers Committee of the NC Bar Association, the Durham Orange Women Attorneys and the 16th Judicial District Bar.
Most recently she was re-elected as a Bar Councilor for the 16th judicial district and now chairs a Grievance Subcommittee.
In her spare time, she volunteers with the NC Justice Center, sings in a feminist chorus, hauls mulch from one end of her yard to another and raises children with her amazing husband. When not in the office, you can probably find her at a protest, lifting weights at the gym, exploring a new country, having dinner with friends or pulling weeds from the garden (clearly, more mulch is needed).