Newest Legal Practice Hall of Fame Members Discuss Induction, Careers and NCBA Membership

The 34th induction class of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Legal Practice Hall of Fame was honored on Friday, June 24, at the 2022 Annual Meeting in Winston-Salem during the Awards Dinner and Presidential Installation.

This year’s inductees are:

This is the fourth induction class for the renamed General Practice Hall of Fame, which was established in 1989 by the General Practice Section and now includes 178 members (see complete listing here). The NCBA Senior Lawyers Division has solicited nominations and selected the inductees since 2019.

The Legal Practice Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding lawyers whose careers have served as models for other lawyers. Legal Practice Hall of Fame lawyers have exhibited throughout their practice the highest standards of ethics and professional competency and have rendered a high level of service to the bar and to their communities.

Front from left, Hall of Fame inductees are pictured: Richard Boyette, Kenneth Greene, Jody Moore and Sharon Parker. Back: Executive Director Jason Hensley, President Jon Heyl and Ed Gaskins, who presented the awards on behalf of the Senior Lawyers Division. Inductee Gerald Thornton, who was unable to attend, is pictured below. Richard Boyette is a white man with grey hair and wire-rimmed glasses, and he is wearing a white shirt, coral tie, and a black jacket; he is pictured smiling. Kenneth Greene is a white man with grey and white hair, and he is wearing a pale blue shirt, a navy and grey striped tie, and a black jacket; he is smiling. Jody Moore is a white man with white hair, and he is wearing a cream-colored shirt, a grey tie, and a black jacket; he is pictured smiling. Sharon Parker is a white woman with dark reddish-brown hair, and she is wearing brown glasses with a teal button-down blouse, and black pants. Pictured in the back row are Jason Hensley, a white man with brown hair who is wearing a red tie and a grey suit with an Americn flag pin on his lapel, Jon Heyl, a white man with brown hair who is wearing a navy blue and grey striped tie and black suit, and Ed Gaskins, a white man with grey hair and wire glasses who is wearing a white shirt, red and white striped tie, black jacket and grey pants.

Celebrating the new Hall of Fame class are, front from left, inductees Richard Boyette, Kenneth Greene, Jody Moore and Sharon Parker. Back: Executive Director Jason Hensley, President Jon Heyl and Ed Gaskins, who presented the awards on behalf of the Senior Lawyers Division. Inductee Gerald Thornton, who was unable to attend, is pictured below.

Biographical information on each inductee was provided in the awards dinner program and is accessible here. Each inductee was also asked to respond to three questions regarding their induction, legal careers, and membership in the North Carolina Bar Association. Their responses follow:

Richard Boyette

What does it mean to you to be inducted into the Legal Practice Hall of Fame and to have your name listed among the previous inductees?

I feel humbled to be included among this group of outstanding lawyers who have been recognized for this honor. I suppose one thing it means is that I’m old! But in all seriousness, being recognized in this fashion means, I hope, that I have practiced competently and ethically, given back to the profession and my community, and treated others – clients, opposing counsel and their clients – as I would hope to be treated.

What has it meant to you to be a lawyer?

This is a difficult question to answer in a few words. Practicing law has involved lifelong learning and growth, from handling simple matters as a baby lawyer to more interesting and significant matters as my career progressed. It has meant meeting and getting to know folks from all walks of life. It has meant associating with lawyers locally, across the state and around the country through the practice and involvement in professional organizations, most of whom are outstanding folks, and many of whom have become close friends.

How has membership in the North Carolina Bar Association enhanced your career?

Membership in the NCBA has exposed me to lawyers from around the state practicing in different practice areas that I would likely have not met otherwise. Resources available through the Real Property Section have enhanced that portion of my practice that involves commercial real estate. The Litigation Section is most valuable in bringing together segments of the litigation bar outside of the plaintiff or defense silos. And participation in the Dispute Resolution Section has been most helpful as I became an active mediator as an adjunct to my litigation and transaction practice.

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Kenny Greene

What does it mean to you to be inducted into the Legal Practice Hall of Fame and to have your name listed among the previous inductees?

In today’s world of social media, recognition has often become a matter of popularity and is based upon the number of followers you may have. This is not the case with induction into the Legal Practice Hall of Fame. It is an arduous application process that requires a sponsor’s nomination accompanied by five additional seconding letters, and a final selection by a select committee of the Bar Association. It is truly an honor to be so recognized by my colleagues in law.

What has it meant to you to be a lawyer?

Being a lawyer has provided me the opportunity to be a role model for my children and grandchildren and helping to instill in them the same values that we as lawyers dedicate ourselves to achieve every day on our legal practices – integrity, loyalty, excellence, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to service over self.

How has membership in the North Carolina Bar Association enhanced your career?

Membership in the bar has elevated my knowledge of what it means to practice law and provided to me numerous opportunities to improve the administration of justice in North Carolina. But, more importantly, it has given me the pleasure to work with – and learn from – outstanding lawyers throughout our state.

Jody Moore

What does it mean to you to be inducted into the Legal Practice Hall of Fame and to have your name listed among the previous inductees?

My selection has led me to reflect on my time as a lawyer sooner than I expected, and I am glad that I have. It has made me more appreciative of the privilege to practice law, more thankful for the time I have had and more focused on what I would still like to accomplish as a lawyer before and perhaps after I retire from active practice. Unfortunately, other lawyers in my family did not have that chance to reflect, and in spite of being blessed with greater longevity, I have a good ways to go to catch up.

What has it meant to you to be a lawyer?

I am told that my uncle said to my father, when he and my grandfather asked him to join their firm – “You will live well and die poor.” My dad later said to me when I told him I was considering law school, “Well, the office is air-conditioned and we get to wear nice clothes.” So far, those predictions have turned out to be true, but even more prophetic would have been, “You will always be proud to be a lawyer, and your greatest satisfaction will come when a friend or other client requests your help.” I have found the study and practice of law to be stimulating, challenging and something to look forward to every day, and I treasure the associations and interactions I have had with my clients and other lawyers.

How has membership in the North Carolina Bar Association enhanced your career?

My membership in the N.C. Bar Association has been both valuable and enjoyable. The outstanding continuing education programs allow me to stay abreast of developments and new ideas relevant to my personal areas of practice and have also made me more aware of developments in other fields. The committee assignments have helped me to be forwarded-thinking in terms of the practice of law and our evolving legal system, and they have given me opportunities to know more lawyers around the state. The e-bars and other publications are also much appreciated. As the number of lawyers in Raleigh and statewide continues to grow, our Association keeps me better connected with those I have come to know and respect over the years.

Sharon Parker

What does it mean to you to be inducted into the Legal Practice Hall of Fame and to have your name listed among the previous inductees?

I am extremely honored to be inducted into the Legal Practice Hall of Fame, given the very high esteem that I hold for my former partners, E. P. “Sandy” Dameron and Charles Burgin, who were inducted into the General Practice Hall of Fame in 1991 and 2008, respectively. Sandy and Charles both set high standards for integrity, excellence, and service to our community and the Bar. They inspired me and motivated me to look for ways to serve my community and my profession in every place, in every setting, and, most importantly to me now, in every season of life. Being the third generation of lawyers from Dameron & Burgin to be inducted into the Legal Practice Hall of Fame highlights that legacy, which I hope to model and continue for attorneys practicing alongside me and coming after me.

What has it meant to you to be a lawyer?

The world – my world. Being a first-generation college graduate, I did not consider law until I worked in the Consumer Protection Division of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office, where I saw how attorneys could help others. In the 1980s when I first started practicing law, having my law degree and working with two well-respected firms put me in front of decision-makers who would consider my recommendations and arguments and opened doors that may have been closed to me at that time as a female without decades of experience in the healthcare setting, where I practiced. Later, in 2002, being an attorney gave me the flexibility to change my practice when I needed to step back so I could try to focus on my family and community.

How has membership in the North Carolina Bar Association enhanced your career?

I have met and learned from so many wonderful, knowledgeable attorneys from all across the state while working with the NCBA. The Sections and NCBA CLE makes me a more skilled lawyer and keeps me abreast of changes in my areas of practice. Being a part of the NCBA keeps me connected, which I especially value in my solo practice.

Gerald Thornton

Gerald Thornton is a white man with dark hair. He is pictured in a black and white style photo with a sienna tint, and he is wearing a white shirt, dark jacket, and black and white tie.

Gerald Thornton

What does it mean to you to be inducted into the Legal Practice Hall of Fame and to have your name listed among the previous inductees?

This is a completely unanticipated honor. To have my name included among the past recipients is a bit overwhelming. I have admired and respected those who have received this honor in the past and never contemplated that I might be included as a member of the Hall of Fame. I am deeply indebted to those who thought that I deserved this honor and I pledge to strive to continue to earn their respect.

What has it meant to you to be a lawyer?

Being a lawyer has given me the satisfaction of serving people that otherwise I would have never had the chance to meet. In that service, they have become more than just clients. They have become my friends. I will always be thankful for the opportunity to be associated with them.

How has membership in the North Carolina Bar Association enhanced your career?

The Bar Association has helped me learn more about the law and about being a lawyer. Its CLE programs have been extremely valuable in keeping me mentally alert and focused on helping others overcome their challenges in a right and lawful way.

Russell Rawlings is director of external affairs and communications for the North Carolina Bar Association.