Administrative Law Section Honors Jeff Gray
The NCBA Administrative Law Section presented the 2025 Administrative Law Award for Excellence to Jeffrey P. (Jeff) Gray of Bailey & Dixon in Raleigh on March 19. The award was presented during the section’s annual meeting at the N.C. Bar Center.
“I was honored very much by receiving this award,” Gray said. “It was so nice having it occur on what is kind of an anniversary for me – it’s my 40th year of practice, believe it or not! I graduated law school in 1985 and came into the AG’s office in September when 150-B, the Administrative Procedures Act, went into effect on October 1.
“They were transitioning the staff and some of the functions that were there to the brand new Office of Administrative Hearings. We had lost a number of lawyers who were the first administrative law judges, and I was part of that transition. I’ve been exposed to administrative law literally since Day One.”
A graduate of Western Carolina University (1981) and Campbell Law School (1985), Gray served as Special Assistant to Attorney General Lacy Thornburg from 1985-91 and as an assistant attorney general from 1992-98, during which time he served as attorney for the N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (1996-98). He has also served as legal counsel to the N.C. Board of Barber Examiners (2007-11) and the N.C. Auctioneers Licensing Board (1994-2008), and has represented 13 of the state’s 56 occupational licensing boards in some manner over the course of his career. Gray currently represents four occupational and professional licensing boards and is hearings counsel for one.
Gray is a past chair of the Administrative Law Section (2007-08) and the Government & Public Sector Section (2005-06), which honored him in 2009 as the recipient of the section’s Grainger Barrett Award for Excellence. He has been a frequent CLE planner and presenter for both sections, an author of countless magazine and newsletter articles on the topic of administrative law, and has presented at national conferences of the Associations of Regulatory Boards and the Council on Licensure Enforcement and Regulation.
Gray is also a member of the NCBA Zoning, Planning & Land Use Section.
“The best part of it is the people,” Gray reflected. “Some of them are retiring and phasing out of the practice, like the Noel Allens and the Nick Fountains and some of the other founding fathers who are winding down their careers. And Jack Nichols, of course, but there’s a whole new generation such as Rob Padgett, the outgoing chair of the section who presented me the award.
“There’s a lot of new young people coming along, and that’s what’s great about it. Seeing the young lawyers who are enthusiastic about it is probably the best part. When I got the call from Rob about the award, I got to thinking about the fact that he was still in middle school when I was leaving the Attorney General’s Office going into private practice. I was like, ‘Oh, please don’t tell me that!’ I mean, Gov. Josh Stein and his wife worked for me as interns in the Attorney General’s Office. That is where they met!”
In addition to the aforementioned icons of the administrative law field, Gray recalled the contributions of Molly Masich, who served as Codifier of Rules and Director of the Rules Division for the Office of Administrative Hearings, and received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2020.
“Molly showed up in my doorway when I first went to work for Lacy,” Gray said. “When the transition started, it was in our office, and she made it real simple. She told me how we were going to do it, and at least I was smart enough to salute and say, ‘Yes ma’am!’ Molly was never a lawyer, but she was over at the Office of Administrative Hearings since Day One. She was just a whiz.”
Gray also paid tribute in his acceptance remarks to Bill Culpepper, who served as General Counsel for the N.C. Office of Administrative Hearings, and Ann Wall, who serves as General Counsel for the N.C. Office of the Secretary of State.
“All of this stuff that I’ve written through the years, Ann is really the brains behind it,” Gray concluded. “She is the chef, and I am just the sous chef. She reads and researches all the time and sends me stuff and says, ‘You need to write about this.’ And I do.”
The Administrative Law Award for Excellence is designed to honor an attorney who:
- has practiced administrative or regulatory law for at least ten years and who has continuous experience in this practice;
- is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association and the Administrative Law Section;
- has an exemplary record and reputation in the legal community and follows the highest ethical standards; and
- has an exemplary record of active participation in the efforts to improve the administrative and regulatory process for regulators, the regulated public, the citizens of North Carolina and in the interests of justice.
Previous recipients of the Administrative Law Award for Excellence:
Noah H. Huffstetler III (2024)
Ann Wall (2023)
Judge Julian Mann (2022)
Daniel F. McLawhorn (2020)
John N. (Nick) Fountain (2019)
Jack Nichols (2018)
Judge Fred Morrison (2017)
Russell Rawlings is director of external affairs and communications for the North Carolina Bar Association.