WCBA PARTNERSHIPS

The Wake County Bar Association firmly believes that collaboration with other organizations only makes for a stronger, livelier, more inclusive bar, lifting the profession up and moving it forward. As the saying goes, “a rising tide lifts all boats,” and we are proud that our members are well-connected leaders throughout our local legal community. In this section, a few of them share their experiences of how the WCBA and other organizations they serve have partnered together to enhance their practice and their lives.

A YOUNG LAWYER GROWS THROUGH THE WCBA AND CAPITAL CITY LAWYERS ASSOCIATION

BY JONNELL CARPENTER | UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHAPEL HILL

FROM A YOUNG AGE, I have been obsessed with extra curricular activities. I was the person who was involved in everything. While quite the introvert, I craved the sense of community, engagement and personal development that organizations provided. Now as a young lawyer, this sense of belonging and engagement is critical as I increase my knowledge base and connection to the Wake County legal community. During my time at Campbell Law School, my peers and mentors spoke highly of two organizations: Wake County Bar Association (WCBA) and Capital City Lawyers Association (CCLA). Although both are bar organizations for attorneys, my participation in WCBA and CCLA serve and fulfill different purposes.

Membership in WCBA provides opportunities to remain engaged and grow professionally within the legal field. WCBA’s continued focus on supporting the educational and professional growth of lawyers is seen through their offerings of CLE credits, networking luncheons and pro bono opportunities. WCBA’s Young Lawyers Division (YLD) is an added bonus for new attorneys, increasing networking and collaboration within the young legal community. I now serve as the co-chair for YLD’s Speaker Series, where we host panels on legal services, financial advising, and other topics of interest to young lawyers. As the co-chair, I’m excited to contribute to the growth and advancement of other young attorneys. In this sense, I can practice reciprocity, or the idea of giving back while receiving. For similar reasons, I was drawn to the mission and community of CCLA.

I was first introduced to CCLA through mentoring relationships with Campbell Assistant Dean of Student Life and Pro Bono Opportunities Evin Grant and Judge Julie Bell. As a Black law student, their mentorship, guidance and support were essential to my success. Black, Indigenous, and attorneys of color continue to make up a small percentage in our profession. Recognizing this, CCLA creates pathways for attorneys of color to thrive and serve through mentoring programs, community service and political action events. In the spirit of Mary Church Terrell, “lifting as we climb,” it is important for me to support the efforts to diversify the legal field as my mentors and those before me have done. I currently serve as the co-chair of the CCLA Events Committee where we host the annual Christmas Gala, which provides scholarships for law students of color. This year, we will celebrate CCLA’s 40th anniversary, and look forward to continued partnerships with organizations such as WCBA to support the advancement of our mission.

Both CCLA and WCBA continue to add to my professional and personal growth as a young Black attorney. I highly encourage each of us to consider joining and supporting WCBA, CCLA and other voluntary bar associations through membership, participation in events or sponsorship. WBF

BUILDING COMMUNITY, PROMOTING HIGH IDEALS AND ANSWERING THE CALL TO SERVE: WCBA AND NCBA

BY C. MARK HOLT | NORTH CAROLINA BAR ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT 2020-2021

FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS I’ve been a member of and have loved both the Wake County Bar Association and the North Carolina Bar Association. Each has been a supportive and nurturing professional home.

I believe now, more than ever, what the public needs from our profession is a strong legal community working together to make sure the legal needs of the people of our state are met within a system of justice in which all have confidence.

Our profession comes together to meet this need through vibrant and active bar associations, both at the local and statewide level. Working together, we can generously support our profession to enable it to effectively serve the public.

Both bar associations do this by promoting ideals of integrity, civility and professionalism and by valuing and respecting the humanity and dignity of each person in our profession and the public we serve. We also remind our profession that our highest calling is to serve those in need through pro bono and public service.

Our partnerships in recent years have included a Wills for Heroes Clinic in which Judge Dunston welcomed WCBA volunteers and staff from both our organizations for a day of providing wills, health care powers of attorney and durable powers of attorney for police officers, first responders and their families. It was a wonderful day of service. Currently, we conduct these clinics in a virtual format utilizing newly developed technology.

WCBA members generously participate each year in another North Carolina Bar Foundation program, the 4ALL Statewide Day of Service, recently held in a virtual format with volunteers taking calls from their offices and homes. Other NCBF programs in which WCBA members have volunteered include NC Free Legal Answers, in which legal advice is provided online and COVID-19 Virtual Legal Hotlines.

We also support our profession through members’ engagement and leadership in programs of each of our organizations (virtual this year), including WCBA’s luncheon meetings, breakfast discussions, special events and free CLE as well as NCBA’s practice area sections, committees, Center for Practice Management and CLE offerings, including monthly Expert Series CLE provided with membership.

Each of our organizations annually recognizes exceptional professionalism, engages our young lawyers in spirited activities, supports Legal Aid and other legal services providers and holds important programs and initiatives addressing diversity, equity and inclusion.

In 2021 and beyond, I hope members of our profession will continue to build community, aspire to high ideals and serve others through both our bar associations.

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HELPING LEGAL PROFESSIONALS EVOLVE AND THRIVE

CONNECTIONS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM | CAMPBELL LAW SCHOOL, WCBA, TENTH J.D. BAR

BY MEGAN WEST SHERRON | ASSISTANT DEAN OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS, CAMPBELL LAW SCHOOL

CAMPBELL LAW SCHOOL, the Wake County Bar Association and the Tenth Judicial District Bar have a unique partnership that has resulted in a joint endeavor, the Campbell Law Connections Mentorship program. The program began in 2014 to provide mentoring opportunities to Campbell Law third-year students and new attorneys in Wake County by matching participants with an experienced attorney. Mentees develop meaningful professional relationships and a more thorough understanding of the responsibilities and ethics demanded by the practice of law under the tutelage of a mentor.

In 2016, Connections received the E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Award from the American Bar Association. This award honors excellence and innovation in professionalism programs by law schools, bar associations, professionalism commissions and other law-related organizations. In selecting Connections, the Gambrell Award selection committee found the program to represent an exemplary law student and new lawyer mentoring program model, embracing best practices and effective strategies, as well as a model bar/law school partnership for others to follow. WBF

Pictured below:Connections participants take part in the 2019 end-of-year- social.

THE WCBA & THE NCAJ: BETTER TOGETHER

BY DAVID L. SHERLIN | HOLT SHERLIN | NCAJ BOARD OF GOVERNORS AND WCBA PAST PRESIDENT

THE WAKE COUNTY BAR AWARDS COMMITTEE sat in the upstairs room at Cantina 18 planning the 2019 event. Despite the flavorful chips and queso, we still had a problem. The organization that had served as the primary community sponsor of the Bar Awards was not filling the role again in 2019. Losing the primary community sponsor was a big deal because of the financial support it provides to the event.

Several different groups were brought up as potential community sponsors. A court reporting service? A legal research outfit? Finally, an organization was brought up and, with unanimous support, we would reach out to the North Carolina Advocates for Justice.

Whitney von Haam and Kimberly Miller, chair of the Bar Awards (and NCAJ member) agreed to make the ask of Kim Crouch, NCAJ’s Executive Director. They met, with NCAJ marketing director Hallie Kennedy, at Ridgewood Wine & Beer for “the ask” to take place. This ask would likely not have happened but for the long-standing personal relationships between Whitney, Kimberly and Kim.

Later that evening I got an excited call from Kimberly Miller: NCAJ was in as the Bar Awards primary community sponsor! The 2019 Bar Awards was the most successful event to date, and that success was in large part due to the working relationship between the Wake County Bar Association and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice.

While supporting each other’s initiatives is a great thing, the relationship between the WCBA and the NCAJ goes well beyond just that. These organizations share members, share leadership teams and yes, they share experiences in dealing with life as a voluntary bar association during a global pandemic. But perhaps the most important thing the WCBA and the NCAJ does in recent months is to share experiences.

Both the WCBA and the NCAJ are fortunate to be led by dynamic executive directors who work with talented staff. Both the WCBA and the NCAJ have a have active and engaged members who help run the organizations. And both the WCBA and the NCAJ have a long-standing history of giving back to the community through both deeds and actions. Through all of these comes the ability to find common purpose, common ground and a knowledge that through the relationship between the WCBA and the NCAJ both organizations are stronger and better.

There’s a great TV show my family just watched called “Ted Lasso.” Due to potential spoilers, I won’t give the full context of this quote, but in one scene Coach Ted Lasso says to his football (soccer) team that is going through a tough time “ain’t nobody in this room alone.”

While the WCBA and the NCAJ are going through these pandemic times, it’s important to know that they are not going at this alone either. Through support, sharing of information and yes, the occasional meeting at Ridgewood Wine & Beer, these groups are collectively stronger, and we are all better for it. WBF

WCBA AND WCACTL PARTNER TOGETHER FOR THE ANNUAL BLOCKBUSTER CRIMINAL LAW CLE

BY LINDSEY D. GRANADOS | THE LAW OFFICES OF WILEY NICKEL, PLLC

OVER THE PAST DECADE I have had the privilege of serving on the Wake County Bar Association CLE Committee, the group responsible for the planning and executing all the amazing 45+ CLE hours that the WCBA provides to our members at no cost, included as a part of your annual membership. Our committee, currently led by Alice Stubbs, meets quarterly to brainstorm new ideas, discuss trending topics in the law that would be of interest to our diverse membership and suggest new voices that could be called upon in our local bar to teach a CLE.

Additionally, I have concurrently served in various capacities on the governing board of the Wake County Academy of Criminal Trial Lawyers (WCACTL). WCACTL was founded as a way of providing low-cost, specifically tailored CLEs for our local criminal defense bar, and to network with other defense attorneys working “in the trenches.” In pre-COVID times, we would meet after hours on the third Thursday of every month, usually at a local restaurant or bar for a mixer and a CLE, and once a year, we put on a full-day, in-person CLE. Hopefully, we will get back to that very soon.

A few years back, the WCBA and WCACTL forged a new tradition by teaming up to host our full-day Blockbuster Criminal Law CLE. WCACTL is responsible for lining up the speakers and topics and sets the agenda for the six to seven hour CLE, which is typically held on the Friday of District Court Judges’ Conference in October. The WCBA, via resident CLE superwoman Colleen Glatfelter, performs all the nitty-gritty detail work that we lawyers can get bogged down with when we are also trying to, you know, perform our day jobs. Colleen helps us confirm the location for the CLE, nicely twists speakers’ arms to get manuscripts to submit to the State Bar, completes all the necessary paperwork pre- and post-CLE, and most importantly, takes care of ordering the delicious food we serve our attendees. Both organizations market the CLE to our respective members. We routinely have approximately 80-100 participants at our all-day CLE, and it is one of the best attended CLEs that the WCBA puts on every year. Even during a pandemic, while not able to get together in person, we still put on a half-day virtual CLE that covered important, timely subjects in criminal law and defense. This CLE has also helped drive new members to the WCBA, because the all-day CLE is free to WCBA members. We routinely have attorneys sign up to join the WCBA on the day of the Blockbuster Criminal Law CLE.

The WCBA/WCACTL partnership to offer the Annual Blockbuster Criminal Law CLE has benefited both organizations, as we are able to share in the planning, execution and costs associated with the exceptionally large task of organizing a full-day CLE. I hope the WCBA/WCACTL partnership will continue for many years in the future. Feel free to join us this October for the next Annual Blockbuster Criminal Law CLE! WBF