Leading Off
Welcome to the May 2023 edition of North Carolina Lawyer magazine, the flagship publication of the North Carolina Bar Association.
President Clayton Morgan, a graduate of Wake Forest University School of Law, draws inspiration for his final President’s Perspective from the university motto, Pro Humanitate (For Humanity), and a “commitment to the betterment of humanity” that is clearly evident among members of the NCBA as well. “Your volunteerism,” Morgan writes, “is not taken for granted; rather it is cherished and appreciated and celebrated by both the NCBA and the public at large.”
Feature coverage includes a preview of educational programming that will be a focal point of the NCBA Annual Meeting from Director of Diversity and Inclusion Ebony Bryant. Scheduled June 22-24 in Wilmington, this year’s annual meeting coincides with the 125th anniversary of the Wilmington Massacre and Coup d’etat of 1898, thereby opening the door for a timely opportunity to explore connections between this event and the founding and journey of the NCBA.
The first article in a series on ChatGPT and the legal field provides insight from Diane Littlejohn of the Technology Law and Policy Center at North Carolina Central University School of Law and Jeff Ward of the Duke Center on Law & Tech at Duke University School of Law. Feature coverage is also devoted to Apex attorney Dan Gibson and his campaign for kindness and courtesy in the legal profession, and former Justice Sam J. Ervin IV of the N.C. Supreme Court who recently received the Liberty Bell Award.
The volunteer spirit is alive and well within the Young Lawyers Division, reports Lisa Williford in her final column as YLD chair. Catherine Sanders Reach, director of the NCBA Center for Practice Management, provides valuable insight on mental health and wellness in her latest column, “Technology and Well Being: Cause, Cure, or Control?” and Professor Laura Graham of Wake Forest University School of Law, in her “Writing That Works” column, discusses “How to ‘Declunkify’ Your Legal Writing: Three Key Strategies.”
So many wonderful things are taking place in the lives and careers of our members, including three who were interviewed for this edition: NCBA Past President Jacqueline Grant, who is now serving as a Superior Court judge in Buncombe County; award-winning Paralegal Division member Katie Riddle, who is making her way through law school; and NCBA Board of Governors member Larissa Mañón Mervin, who has just been named Managing Attorney of LANC’s Charlotte office.
Wonderful things are also transpiring at the North Carolina Bar Foundation! The 16th edition of the 4ALL Statewide Service Day was conducted in March; the Robert C. Cone Justice Fund has been established in memory of the Greensboro attorney by his wife, Sally B. Cone, and their children, Sam and Laurie; and Wills for Heroes is still going strong under the direction of Pro Bono Programs Coordinator Bianca Simmons.
Our members have also contributed outstanding articles for this edition. Ryan Park, with Mary Gen Sanner and Emma Ritter, devoted considerable research to “Diversity and the North Carolina Supreme Court: A Look at the Advocates,” and Frank Laney devoted countless hours of travel and teaching which are reflected in “A Mediator’s Journeys to Belarus, Ukraine And the Post-Soviet World.”
The presentation of four awards by NCBA Sections are also covered in this edition. The Administrative Law Section presented its Administrative Law Award for Excellence to Ann Wall; the Dispute Resolution Section presented the Peace Award to Judge J. Randolph Ward and the new Harmony Award to Deborah Lynn (Deb) Dilman; and the Government and Public Sector Section presented the Grainger Barrett Award for Excellence to Elizabeth Croom.
Pick and choose from the May 2023 issue page, or scroll conveniently from article to article through the entire edition utilizing the Previous Article – Next Article option at the end of each piece.
Russell Rawlings is director of external affairs and communications for the North Carolina Bar Association.