Remembering Jim Talley (1937-2024)
James Maynard (Jim) Talley Jr. of Charlotte died on October 16 at the age of 87. He was a past president of the North Carolina Bar Association and Foundation who provided volunteer leadership and service to numerous causes throughout his distinguished career.
Appreciation for Talley’s contributions permeated Myers Park United Methodist Church on the afternoon of October 24 as family and friends gathered for his memorial service. Two pews were filled by our past presidents, including John Wester and Larry McDevitt, who provided remembrances of their beloved colleague.
“Jim carried inside him a commitment to assure legal services for those who had no chance to afford them,” Wester recalled. “He spoke of this as an investment, a compelling one:
If poor citizens can secure legal counsel to protect their need for food, safety and shelter, the return on that investment is many thousands more productive, tax-paying citizens.
“Jim Talley threw himself into that cause, advancing one idea after another – how to move, how to organize more attorneys for pro bono service for clients in need, and how to persuade elected representatives to fund decently, adequately, even minimum support for legal aid staffs throughout our state. Anyone who has witnessed Jim’s devotion to legal aid has seen a hero in motion, but one never expecting to be seen as such. A phrase in his obituary captures much of what we are fortunate to celebrate today: a long life packed with accomplishments.
“Taking in these accomplishments carries its own reward, but I believe we are reviewing far more than a list. The stakes embedded in what Jim Talley took on could not have been higher. And how he has led so many causes so well has earned him a forever and rightful place in our memory. I hold confidence that Jim engaged all that he did with no expectation that he would be remembered, much less with his name beside it.
“Thankfully, we can assemble here today to celebrate what he has done, and we can assure Claire and all in their family of our gratitude for his giving so much, to so many, and for so long.”
McDevitt asked the congregation: What do you do when you think of Jim Talley?
“I was riding to a meeting the other day in Asheville, and I was thinking about Jim,” McDevitt said. “I was thinking about him a lot. I happened to glance in the rearview mirror to make sure the knot I tied in my tie while driving with my knees was okay and my hair was combed, but I noticed something else in the mirror about my face: I was smiling. And then it hit me – that’s my thesis to the text – when you think of Jim Talley, what do you do? He makes people smile.
“Jim’s spontaneity, lightheartedness, wit, and often zany antics just made us smile. It’s what drew us to him. We never knew what he was going to say or what he was going to do. Just walking down the street with Jim Talley was an experience. We’d be talking about something and some stranger would come along and Jim would say, ‘Hey there, hi there, ho there, glad to see you, glad you’re here, how you doing?’ Some of the people would walk on, some would respond, others would stop and chat, but all of them would smile.
“I’m going to miss him. I’m going to miss his spirit. I’m going to miss his soul. I’m going to miss just knowing that he walks the earth.”
Jim Talley was born in Durham and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1959 with a B.S. in Industrial Relations. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1959-61 (active duty) and continued in service to his country from 1961-84 in the U.S. Naval Reserve, retiring with the rank of captain.
Talley graduated with honors in 1964 from UNC School of Law, where he was an Order of the Coif honoree and served on the board of editors of the North Carolina Law Review. He moved to Charlotte that same year and joined the law firm eventually known as Horack, Talley, Pharr & Lowndes. Talley remained with the firm, where he became a stockholder and partner, for more than 50 years, devoting his practice to commercial real estate, finance and corporate law. The firm affiliated with Offit Kurman in 2019, and Talley served of counsel before retiring.
Talley’s record of volunteer leadership within the legal profession was extensive, and he left an indelible mark on every organization he touched. He served as chair of the NCBA Young Lawyers Division in 1972-73 and as a member of the NCBA Board of Governors in 1983-86. Talley chaired the Bar Center Steering Committee that recommended an 8.5-acre tract of land on Lake Crabtree where the present-day N.C. Bar Center was constructed, and was serving as president when the new building was dedicated on October 21, 1994.
As a devoted champion of providing legal services to the poor and disenfranchised, Talley served as chair of the NCBA Task Force for Legal Services (1995-96) and provided board service to Legal Services of North Carolina (president, 1978-82), Legal Aid of North Carolina, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont (president, 1977-80), the North Carolina Equal Access to Justice Commission, NC IOLTA (chair, 2005-06), and North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services. He also held numerous roles with the Mecklenburg County Bar and the UNC Law Alumni Association.
As a true servant leader, Talley helped establish the SouthPark Association of Neighborhoods and served on the boards of Supportive Housing Communities and Children and Family Services Center (now Ascend Nonprofit Solutions). He was also an active member of Myers Park United Methodist Church and its contemporary choir.
Talley is survived by his wife, Claire; five children between them – Randy Talley of Weaverville, Beth Pell and her husband, Nick, of Huntersville, Mark Talley of Charlotte, Elizabeth Moore of Charlotte and Stacey Moore III and his wife, Carolyn, of Charlotte; and 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Jim is also survived by his younger sister, Elizabeth Shelley, of Greensboro.
Russell Rawlings is director of external affairs and communications for the North Carolina Bar Association.