Judge Wanda Bryant Honored Upon Retirement
Judge Wanda Bryant, who retired at the end of last year following nearly 20 years on the N.C. Court of Appeals, was recently honored with the Friend of the Court Award. It is the highest award presented by the Judicial Branch.
The award specifically recognizes Judge Bryant for her service on the Court of Appeals and as chair of the North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission.
Chief Justice Paul Newby presented the award.
“We thank Judge Bryant for her years of faithful service as chair of the Judicial Standards Commission,” said Chief Justice Newby said in an official release. “Her role as chair was a great responsibility and service to North Carolinians.”
“The Judicial Standards Commission,” the release further stated, “was established in 1973 to investigate allegations of misconduct or disability made against judges and justices of the North Carolina General Court of Justice and commissioners and deputy commissioners of the North Carolina Industrial Commission. The Commission also provides education and training for judges and commissioners across the state and advises them on their obligations under the North Carolina Code of Judicial Conduct.”
“It was very kind and generous of Chief Justice Newby to award me that,” Bryant said. “I was very surprised and very humbled.”
Bryant was born in Southport. She is a graduate of Duke University (1977) and North Carolina Central University School of Law (1982).
Retracing the steps of her career, she noted the significant influence of Mike Easley, who served two terms as governor and two terms as attorney general of North Carolina. When Bryant graduated from law school, Easley was serving as district attorney in the 13th Prosecutorial District.
“He pretty much hired me right out of law school,” said Bryant, who worked briefly for a private firm before being sworn in as an assistant district attorney for the district encompassing Brunswick, Columbus and Bladen counties. “I was the first female and the first African American in that role.
“I have always appreciated the fact that he took a chance on me. One of the good things about being in a less-populated area, because it was more rural there were fewer ADAs, so you got a chance to go to court immediately. I had only been there a couple of months when I was in Superior Court prosecuting a drug trafficking case.
“It made me rise to the occasion and I was certainly grateful for that.”
The experience paid off when Bryant moved to Washington, D.C., where she ultimately became an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. “By the time I got to D.C., I had not done much grand jury work, but I had tried cases.”
Bryant returned to North Carolina in 1993 when then-Attorney General Easley hired her as the state’s first African American senior deputy attorney. Her tenure extended briefly into the first term of Attorney General Roy Cooper, before then-Gov. Easley appointed Bryant to the Court of Appeals in 2001. She later won election to eight-year terms in 2004 and 2012.
When she retired, Bryant held the second longest tenure on the court, exceeded only by Chief Judge Linda McGee, who also retired at the end of the year.
“Everyone who worked at the Court of Appeals benefitted from and wholeheartedly appreciated Judge Wanda Bryant – many of them for almost 20 years,” said McGee, speaking at the award presentation which was made during the State Bar Council meeting on Jan. 15. “She is admired for her intelligence and her determination and she decided cases with wisdom and respect for all involved.
“Judge Bryant was the first woman to chair the N.C. Judicial Standards Commission in its nearly 50-year history and is one of the few African Americans to do so. Understanding the serious nature of the issues considered by the Commission, she led the Commission meetings with decorum, civility, wisdom and respect.”
“It was very rewarding,” Bryant said of her time on the bench. “I really enjoyed the interaction with colleagues and talking to colleagues, getting to know them personally, going to lunch, and getting together outside the court.
“No question was too stupid. There was a lot of camaraderie and people worked hard. I had been taught as a state employee that I was paid by the taxpayer, so it was always important to me to be there and do my job and for the staff to do the same.”
Bryant added that she especially appreciated the hard work of everyone who played a role in the success of the court, and everyone who contributed to the success of the Judicial Standards Commission.
“I accepted the award on behalf of the Commission,” Bryant said. “But for them I would not have been able to have done the job. I am really grateful to Executive Director Carolyn Dubay and the judges, lawyers and citizens who serve on the Commission.
“And the court was not just about the judges – it was about the clerks, the staff, everyone. I always tried to show my appreciation to them.”
Russell Rawlings is director of external affairs and communications for the North Carolina Bar Association.