Jump to content

List of first women lawyers and judges in North Carolina

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in North Carolina. It includes the year in which the women were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are women who achieved other distinctions such as becoming the first in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.

Firsts in North Carolina's history

[edit]
Susie Sharp: First female judge in North Carolina history
Lillian Exum Clement: First female attorney to practice law in North Carolina without male partners, and first female elected to the North Carolina General Assembly

Lawyers

[edit]

Law Clerk

[edit]

State judges

[edit]

Federal judges

[edit]

United States Attorney

[edit]

District Attorneys

[edit]

Assistant District Attorney

[edit]
  • First African American female (Thirteenth Prosecutorial District): Wanda G. Bryant[40]

Public Defender

[edit]
  • First female: Mary Ann Tally in 1974[41]
  • First female (Chief Public Defender): Regina M. Joe[19]

Political Office

[edit]

Bar Associations

[edit]

Firsts in local history

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Other topics of interest

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Durant (Durand, Duren), Ann Marwood | NCpedia". www.ncpedia.org. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  2. ^ "Tabitha Ann Holton - North Carolina History Project". North Carolina History Project. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Street, Lillian Exum Clement Stafford Charlotte Street at College; Asheville. "Lillian Exum Clement Stafford". Stopping Points Historical Markers & Points of Interest. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  4. ^ a b "The Life and Legacy of Lillian Exum Clement". League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County. February 22, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  5. ^ Fatama, Rahman. "Ruth Whitehead Whaley". www.fordham.edu. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  6. ^ "Honoring Fordham's Black History | Fordham Observer". www.fordhamobserver.com. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  7. ^ "Five Amazing Women Who Shattered The Glass Ceiling". www.ncbar.org. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  8. ^ "Doris Bray | Carolina Law Oral History Project". oralhistoriesproject.law.unc.edu. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  9. ^ Jackson, Carol; Judge, Phoebe (March 10, 2014). "NC's First Female Judge Had No Legal Training Whatsoever". WUNC 91.5. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  10. ^ "Mamie Dowd Walker, First Female Judge in North Carolina – And Justice for All". andjusticeforall.dconc.gov. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  11. ^ a b c "Susie Sharp (1907–1996) - North Carolina History Project". North Carolina History Project. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  12. ^ a b c Hayes, Anna R. (June 1, 2009). Without Precedent: The Life of Susie Marshall Sharp. Univ of North Carolina Press. ISBN 9780807887813.
  13. ^ Johnson, Todd; Barbour, Durwood (October 1, 1997). Johnston County. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738568812.
  14. ^ Finn, Marie T.; Irvine, Diana R.; Bliss, Mary Lee; Pratton, Gina L.; Morgan, Samantha (2008). The American Bench. Forster-Long. ISBN 9780931398568.
  15. ^ "All Things Judicial Podcast | North Carolina Judicial Branch". www.nccourts.gov. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  16. ^ Riley, Rachael. "Judge Ola Lewis, who grew up in Spring Lake, dies". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  17. ^ Staton, John. "Brunswick County Judge Ola Lewis, 54, dies after cancer fight". Wilmington Star News. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  18. ^ a b c Shumate, Dawn. "Rebecca Eggers-Gryder". Watauga Democrat. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h "Campbell Law unveils exhibit featuring alumni serving on judicial benches - News | Campbell University". News. September 24, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  20. ^ "After 60 years, Charlotte couple is still learning about each other". Charlotte Observer. August 19, 2015.
  21. ^ "Georgia J. Lewis is 2013 recipient of the Chambers Diversity Award". www.meckbar.org. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  22. ^ Upon Lewis' service as a civil and criminal magistrate in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
  23. ^ "2011 NC Women's Hall of Fame | North Carolina Governor's Conference for Women". September 17, 2011. Archived from the original on September 17, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  24. ^ Stone, Gavin (November 8, 2018). "From the break room to the bench: Chevonne Wallace elected district court judge". Richmond County Daily Journal. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  25. ^ Her daughter is Judge Chevonne Wallace. In 2010, Judge Wallace served on a three judge panel in the Greg Taylor Innocence Commission Case. It became the first case in the United States in which a defendant was declared "actually innocent." Judge Wallace was the only female on the panel.
  26. ^ Memarian, Jahandad (December 5, 2017). "Iranian-American Lawyers : A Growing Presence in the Nation's Capital". Huffington Post. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  27. ^ "Three Iranian-American Women Make History in US Midterm Elections". November 10, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018 – via PressReader.
  28. ^ Bigelow, Scott (January 3, 2019). "McIntyre brings youthful touch to District Court". Robesonian. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  29. ^ McIntyre later became the first Native American female to serve as a chief district court judge in 2021.
  30. ^ "Cheri Beasley will become the first black woman to be chief justice of the NC Supreme Court". newsobserver. Retrieved March 5, 2019.
  31. ^ a b "Alyson Grine becomes only LGBTQ+ person currently serving on state Superior Court". The Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  32. ^ Brown, Tonya (January 18, 2024). "Robeson County woman becomes NC's first female Indian American Superior Court Judge". WPDE. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  33. ^ "The Prezell R. Robinson Library Unveils "First African Americans on the North Carolina Bench" Exhibit". Saint Augustine's University. October 22, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  34. ^ "The Honorable Catherine C. Eagles to deliver Elon Law's 2013 Commencement Address". E-Net! Elon University News & Information. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  35. ^ "Dena J. King Is Sworn In As United States Attorney For The Western District Of North Carolina". www.justice.gov. November 29, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  36. ^ a b "First state female DA prepared to take oath". Wilson Daily Times Newspaper Archives. November 9, 1988. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  37. ^ a b Brobst, Jennifer (December 11, 2009). "North Carolina Association of Women Lawyers (1978-2009): A Comparative History of NCAWA Members and Women Attorneys Nationally" (PDF).
  38. ^ a b Richards, Helen. "Belinda Foster to Be Appointed District Attorney". Greensboro News and Record. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  39. ^ a b "Fraternity donates to Bennett College". WS Chronicle. January 24, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  40. ^ "Wanda Bryant | North Carolina Judicial Branch". www.nccourts.gov. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  41. ^ a b "Mary Ann Tally receives first NACDL Champion of Indigent Defense award". www.nacdl.org. March 1, 2002. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  42. ^ "Elizabeth H. Dole | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  43. ^ Buckland, Tim (December 9, 2015). "Julia Boseman to run for county commissioner". Wilmington Star News. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  44. ^ "Rhoda Bryan Billings ('66) receives John J. Parker Award from North Carolina Bar Association". Wake Forest School of Law. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  45. ^ "An Interview with New President John M. Silverstein" (PDF). North Carolina Bar Journal. Winter 2017.
  46. ^ "15 Things You Need to Know This Morning". www.bisnow.com. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  47. ^ "HARDING YADKINVILLE". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  48. ^ Stone, Jessi. "Welch seeks second term as 30th Judicial DA". www.smokymountainnews.com. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  49. ^ "Anna Hyder Baucom Obituary 2022". Leavitt Funeral Home. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  50. ^ "One Bladen County magistrate reaches milestone in service | BladenOnline.com". bladenonline.com. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  51. ^ Richards, Annesophia (2017). "Tamika Jenkins: A Lawyer with a Big Heart". North Brunswick Magazine.
  52. ^ Claiborne, Jack; Price, William Solomon (1991). Discovering North Carolina: A Tar Heel Reader. University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 9780807819319.
  53. ^ "OBITUARIES FOR 10-1-00". Asheville Citizen - Times. October 1, 2000. p. C.4. ProQuest 882197540.
  54. ^ "Swearing-in for Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Grant on Friday, May 7 | The Buncombe County Bar". buncombebar.com. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  55. ^ Barber, Mark (January 1, 2019). "'It's a calling': Cabarrus County swears in first African-American district judge". WSOC. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  56. ^ Garrett, C. (2015, February 1). Three decades of helping women and families. <em>Sun Journal (New Bern, NC)</em>. Available from NewsBank: Access World News: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/1533A7249B9130A0.
  57. ^ Hardin, Nathan (December 9, 2014). "Beth Keever, Cumberland County's first female judge, retires". The Fayetteville Observer.
  58. ^ "Roslind Baker Makes History as first Black Judge in Davidson County". Women AdvaNCe. May 24, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  59. ^ "Karen Bethea-Shields, First Female Judge in Durham County, 1980–1986 – And Justice for All". andjusticeforall.dconc.gov. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  60. ^ "Prior Honorees – 2022 - North Carolina Bar Association". www.ncbar.org. May 19, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
  61. ^ "Avery Crump is Guilford's first female, African-American district attorney". Greensboro News and Record. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  62. ^ Battaglia, Danielle. "Teresa Vincent becomes first black woman to serve as chief judge for Guilford County District Court". Greensboro News and Record. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  63. ^ Rawlings, Russell (August 16, 2023). "Legal Legends of Color Honored at Annual Meeting - North Carolina Bar Association". www.ncbar.org. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  64. ^ "Alumni Distinguished Service Award Recipients". Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  65. ^ "First African-American assistant DA to serve local judicial district". Hendersonville Times-News. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  66. ^ "The Enterprise Thursday September 20, 1973". infoweb.newsbank.com. October 8, 2013. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  67. ^ Kratt, Mary Norton (1992). Charlotte, Spirit of the New South. John F. Blair, Publisher. ISBN 9780895870957.
  68. ^ a b "Documenting the American South: Oral Histories of the American South". docsouth.unc.edu. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  69. ^ "Pitt County women breaking the glass ceiling". www.witn.com. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  70. ^ "Standfield Brandon First African American Judge To Represent Rockingham County". 88.5 WFDD. July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  71. ^ "Remembering a promise to Frances Holder". infoweb.newsbank.com. June 8, 2003. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  72. ^ "Rowan will elect first female DA". charlotteobserver. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  73. ^ "DA, judges sworn in - Salisbury Post". Salisbury Post. January 3, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  74. ^ "Endorsements 2018: Lorrin Freeman for Wake County District Attorney". Indy Week. October 16, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  75. ^ "First female magistrate here reflects before retiring". Journal Patriot. Retrieved March 12, 2018.