Young Lawyers Division Awards Presented at 2026 Annual Meeting
On June 26, 2026, NCBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) Chair Sheila Spence presented two awards during the Awards Dinner at the NCBA Annual Meeting in Charlotte.
Alexandria “Alex” Gwynn received the Charles F. Blanchard Young Lawyer of the Year Award, and Nick Sorensen received the Robinson O. Everett Professionalism Award. They are selected by the YLD chair in consultation with current and former YLD leadership.
The Charles F. Blanchard Young Lawyer of the Year Award is named for Charles F. Blanchard, who served as the founding chair of the Young Lawyers Division from 1953 to 1955. This award was established to recognize young lawyers for their distinguished and meritorious service.
Gwynn is a lawyer and governance, strategy and operations leader with experience advising executives, boards and public institutions across infrastructure, health care, government and other highly regulated environments. She currently serves as legal counsel for the U.S. West region at Parsons Corporation and on the company’s ESOP/401(k) committee, supporting fiduciary oversight and governance initiatives.
Gwynn serves on the Board of Directors and Finance Committee of Alliance Health and as chair of the Durham Human Relations Commission. Previously, she served as corporate counsel for Turner Construction Co. and as interim legal lead during a critical leadership transition on the Obama Presidential Center project.
Within NCBA, Gwynn serves as division director of civic engagement and pro bono for the Young Lawyers Division and is actively involved with the Corporate Counsel Section Council, the NCBF Endowment Committee and the Minorities in the Profession Committee. She is also co-creator of the NCBA Young Lawyers Division Pro Bono Leadership Cohort.
Spence presents Gwynn with her award.
The Robinson O. Everett Professionalism Award was established in 2010 in honor of Judge Robinson Everett, a Duke law professor and former chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. The award recognizes young lawyers who embody the spirit of legal professionalism and service.
Sorensen is an assistant attorney general for the North Carolina Department of Justice in Raleigh. He is an Eagle Scout, a graduate of North Carolina State University and a graduate of the Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law.
In his role as an assistant attorney general, he represents the North Carolina Department of Insurance in litigation involving insurance regulation and serves as counsel for the North Carolina Code Officials Qualification Board and the State Fire and Rescue Commission.
He serves as co-chair of the Law Week and Liberty Bell Committee of the NCBA Young Lawyers Division. Sorensen has also volunteered with several other committees and events hosted by the Young Lawyers Division over the past several years, and he looks forward to continuing his service with NCBA.
Sorenson smiles as he receives his award.
Read more about the recipients and access additional photos from the Awards Dinner.