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COVER STORY: TIPPING THE SCALES p4 | Female attorneys in the Carolinas are closing the gender gap — but work still remains n ADVERTISING

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North Carolina Lawyers Weekly [ISSN10411747] [USPS 002-904] is published Monthly with General Statewide Circulation for $410.36 per year by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly,

SERVICE BEFORE SELF p8 | Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather has dedicated his life to public service

5 QUESTIONS WITH p10 | New Morningstar Law partner Swain Wood on all things government investigations and negotiation

IN THE NEWS p15 | Latitude offers law firms recruiting solutions

COURTS p16 | 4th Circuit rules on web domain re-registrations

OPINIONS p19 | Highlights of Court of Appeals opinions

VERDICTS & SETTLEMENTS p25 | The latest results on North Carolina legal action

LAWYERS IN THE NEWS p28 | A roundup of personnel news across North Carolina

COMMENTARY p30 | The tide is turning against noncompetes

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COMMENTARY p34 | It's time to raise judicial pay in North Carolina

CAROLINA PARALEGAL NEWS p35 | Interships fuel interest in law careers p38 | New e-filing system a work in progress p39 | Q&A: Mikki Hancock p40 | Q&A: Cheryl LeGrand