The program’s goals are to educate participants in the benefits and the expectations of NCAJ membership, to offer an environment for members to build strong relationships with fellow young trial lawyers from a variety of locales and practice areas and ultimately, to better prepare tomorrow’s trial lawyer leaders today.
Regardless of how you decide to lead in the legal profession, the NCAJ NEXT Program better prepares participants for the day when they assume an important leadership role, not only within NCAJ but within the practice of law at large in our state.
There are many ways for attorneys to build their leadership skill set by engaging with NCAJ. During the various sessions of the NCAJ NEXT program, participants will learn more about and be empowered to:
Volunteer to be a CLE chair;
Speak at a seminar or CLE;
Share your ideas and trial experiences with your fellow trial lawyers on a section listserv;
Assist in NCAJ’s legislative lobbying efforts;
Serve as a Committee member;
Get more involved with AAJ and/or NACDL;
Engage with the NCAJ PAC;
Run for state office as a lawyer‐legislator;
Serve as an NCAJ leader on the Executive Committee and/or Board of Governors.
Jes Averhart is the founder of Jes & Co. specializing in stakeholder engagement and leadership development. Jes advises executive leadership on growth strategies and talent development.
Her cross-industry corporate engagement includes companies within Research Triangle Park and the American Underground, a Google for Startups Tech Hub (aka, the “Startup Capital of the South” by CNBC).
For over 20 years, The Forge Companies have been dedicated to guiding plaintiff attorneys and their clients through the entire settlement planning process. We began in 2003 as Forge Consulting, a national insurance agency providing structured settlement and annuity services to plaintiffs and their attorneys. We later established Advocacy Wealth Management to complement our existing annuity planning services and Advocacy Trust, which offers a wide range of trust administration with a focus on special needs trust and settlement trust. More recently, we expanded services through Forge for Business, providing a broad range of financial and business services tailored to the needs of contingent fee attorneys, law firms, and general businesses. We have over 150 teammates with experience in financial, legal, compliance, operations, and marketing services. Together, we have worked to build our core values of trust, respect, excellence, empathy, and selflessness, allowing us to build genuine, lasting relationships with our clients and with each other.
We look forward to welcoming you to The Forge Companies family.
NCAJ NEXT Session Topics & Time Commitment
NCAJ NEXT meets monthly, beginning each January, for a full day of engagement with speakers, leaders and one another at various venues across the state. Sessions are usually held on Thursdays, with the exception of Legislative Day in May. See below for the timeline and topics for the 2025 program.
November 14, Noon-1 p.m., Zoom | NEXT Cohort Orientation
November 21, 5:30-7 p.m., NCAJ Headquarters, Raleigh | NEXT Meet & Greet – Get to Know NEXT Fellows, Mentors, NCAJ Leaders and Professional Team
January 16, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Mint Museum, Charlotte | NEXT Kick Off – A Deep Dive into Authentic Leadership and Laying the Foundation for the Course
February 20, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., NCAJ Headquarters, Raleigh | The Power of Storytelling in Leadership with Dasan Ahanu
March 20, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Location TBA | Legal Legends are People Too: The Secrets to a Successful Career and a Life Outside the Practice of Law
April 10, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., NCAJ Headquarters, Raleigh | Real-Time Experience in Governance and Understanding What Board Leadership Means
April 11, 10 a.m., NCAJ Headquarters, Raleigh | NCAJ Board of Governors Meeting
May 1, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Brooklyn Arts Center, Wilmington | The Power of Legal Leadership Viewed Through the Lens of History: Lessons of the 1898 Wilmington Coup D’etat
May 21, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh | Legislative Day and Advocacy Education
June 5, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., NCAJ Headquarters, Raleigh | Living Beyond Burnout: Unleashing the Power of Rest & Restoration
June 18-21, Omni Charlotte Hotel, Charlotte | NCAJ Convention
How are candidates selected?
Criteria for Admission
Applicants must:
Be a current NCAJ member;
Be in good standing with the North Carolina State Bar; and
Letter(s) of recommendation (preferably at least one from a current NCAJ member) Please note that letter(s) of recommendation are not required, but are strongly encouraged.
Who should apply?
We encourage any new-to-the-practice (in the last 10 years) NCAJ members from diverse locales and practice areas who have a history of involvement and leadership in their communities, offices and/or profession to apply. You will likely be a great fit if you are an attorney who wants to become more involved in NCAJ and you have a genuine interest in empowering a strong community of trial lawyers in our state through volunteer leadership.
What should I know before I apply?
Participating in the NCAJ NEXT Program requires a commitment of time and resources. We guarantee that your experience in the program and the rewards of participation will greatly outweigh any sacrifice you will make to attend.
Participants are selected through a competitive application process and are chosen from diverse geographic locations and areas of trial practice. Letter(s) of recommendation from at least one current NCAJ member, your employer, community leader, legislators, judges, etc. are strongly encouraged (although not required).
Are there any costs related to the program?
The tuition for participation in the NCAJ NEXT Program is $750. This fee, combined with NCAJ’s support through partner firms, sponsors and the Allen A. Bailey Endowment, covers program costs and events associated with the NCAJ NEXT sessions. Any travel or lodging needs are the responsibility of the NCAJ member.
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