Outstanding Citizen Lawyers Recognized

The Local Bar Outreach Committee of the North Carolina Bar Association is pleased to announce the recipients of the NCBA Citizen Lawyer Award for 2017. The 10th class of Citizen Lawyer Award recipients was recognized at the 2017 NCBA Annual Meeting on Friday morning, June 23, at The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville.

The Citizen Lawyer Award was established in 2007 to recognize lawyers who provide exemplary public service to their communities. Honorees include elected and appointed government officials, coaches, mentors and voluntary leaders of non-profit, civic and community organizations.

This year’s recipients are:

Raymond Bretzmann of Bretzmann Law Offices in High Point. Ray has provided volunteer service and leadership to Volunteers to the Court, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Youth Unlimited, Inc., the Greater High Point YMCA and YMCA Foundation, Camp Cheerio, United Way of Greater High Point, the First Presbyterian Church, Open Door Ministries, The Piedmont School, High Point Y’s Men’s Club and the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Jean Gordon Carter of McGuireWoods in Raleigh. Jean has provided volunteer service and leadership to the Pines of Carolina Girl Scout Council, the Wake County Estate Planning Council, Triangle Community Foundation, Ravenscroft School, Capital Area Soccer League, Wake Teen Medical Services, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood, the North Carolina Center for Public Policy and North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry (now the North Carolina Chamber).

Forrest Ferrell of Sigmon, Clark, Mackie, Hanvey & Ferrell in Hickory. Forrest has provided volunteer service and leadership to the Catawba County Board of Elections, the Commission on the Status of Women in the Legal Profession, the Catawba County Council for the Arts, the Hickory Recreation Commission, the Family Care Center, Catawba Valley Community College, Catawba Valley AAU, the Judicial Conference of the Fourth Circuit and  the Foothills Conservancy Board.

Katherine Wiggins Fisher of Battle Winslow Scott & Wiley, Rocky Mount. Katherine has provided volunteer leadership and service to Nash Community College, Meals on Wheels, First Presbyterian Church of Rocky Mount, the Parent Advisory Committee for Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools, Nash-Rocky Mount Communities in Schools, Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce, Lucy Ann Brewer Boys & Girls Club, Junior Guild of Rocky Mount and Junior League of High Point.

Susan Harman-Scott of Susan Harman-Scott, Attorney at Law, in Manteo. Susan has provided volunteer service and leadership to the North Carolina Women’s Forum, Albemarle Mental Health Center LME, Dare County Boat Builders’ Foundation, Democratic Women of Dare County, Outer Banks Presbyterian Church, Girl Scouts, Odyssey of the Mind and the Dare County Arts Council, and served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

Phillip Hornthal III of Hornthal Riley Ellis & Maland in Elizabeth City. Phillip has provided volunteer leadership and service to Arts of Albemarle, Elizabeth City Boys and Girls Club, Elizabeth City-Pasquotank County Human Relations Committee, Elizabeth City Rotary Club, HOST (Helping One Student to Read), Christ Episcopal Church, Carolina United Soccer Association, Camden Youth Baseball, Elizabeth City/Pasquotank County Parks and Recreation and the Northeastern High School Trial Advocacy Team.

Brandon Lofton of Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson in Charlotte. Brandon has provided volunteer leadership and service to the Council For Children’s Rights, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing Advisory Board, Levine Museum Of The New South, the Democratic National Convention and the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party, City of Charlotte Small Business Opportunity Task Force and Business Corridor Revitalization Steering Committee, the Mecklenburg County Bar and Foundation.

Kathy Manning of Manning & Associates in Greensboro. Kathy has provided volunteer leadership and service to Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools, The Jewish Federations of North America, American Jewish American Joint Distribution Committee and the Jewish Funders Network, all of which are based in New York City, the Jewish Agency for Israel which is based in Jerusalem, the Greensboro Jewish Federation, Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro and Triad Stage.

James F. “Jim” Morgan of Morgan Herring Morgan Green Rosenblutt & Gill in High Point. Jim has served as chair or president of more than 75 organizations in his community and across the state and represented Guilford County in the N.C. House of Representatives for three terms. Organizations benefitting from his leadership include N.C. Jaycees, Legal Aid of High Point, the Guilford Education Alliance, High Point Chamber of Commerce, High Point Economic Development Corporation, High Point Convention and Visitors Bureau, High Point Community Foundation and Piedmont Triad Partnership.

Ana Sofia Nunez of Fay & Grafton in Raleigh. Ana has provided volunteer leadership and service to the NCBA Minorities in the Profession Committee, the Governor’s Advisory Council on Hispanic/Latino Affairs, the CARA Pro Bono Project in Dilley, Texas, which provide pro bono legal representation to women and children who are detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Capitol Areal Teen Court and the Racial Equity Network.

Robert Ramseur of Ragsdale Liggett in Raleigh. Robert has provided volunteer leadership and service to Band Together, a non-profit that conducts annual philanthropic music festivals to benefit cause-worthy non-profits, Theatre in the Park, the largest non-profit community theater in North Carolina, YMCA of the Triangle, Camp Sea Gull & Camp Seafarer, Leadership Raleigh, Raleigh Hall of Fame, Triangle Area YMCA Y-Guides and the North Carolina Real Estate Commission.

Mittie Smith of Mittie R. Smith, Attorney at Law, in High Point. Mittie has provided volunteer leadership and service to Open Door Ministries of High Point, a non-profit providing food, shelter and other services to its clients, many of whom are homeless. She has also served the High Point Bar Association, Carl Chavis YMCA, the American Cancer Society, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and United Way of Greater High Point.