In Memoriam: Janet Ward Black

Former NCAJ president ‘a bright light in this world’

With her beauty pageant looks and the poise to command any room she walked into, it’s hard to believe that Janet Ward Black, Miss North Carolina 1980 and the first woman to serve as president of both the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and the North Carolina Bar Association, ever shied away from anything. But in an interview for NCAJ’s Legends series, Black told fellow NCAJ past-president Vernon Sumwalt that as a Duke Law student she avoided classes that required public speaking. She intended to spend her life as a corporate lawyer, away from the courtroom.

After a few months behind a desk, Black realized that brand of law failed to satisfy her soul, so she became an assistant district attorney – the first woman to hold the position in Rowan and Cabarrus counties – and then moved to a litigation firm. But during her first North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers convention, she hid in her hotel room between CLEs to avoid having to talk with the other lawyers.

When, Sumwalt asked, did you look yourself in the mirror and say, “I can do this”?

“I’m still waiting for that moment,” Black replied, flashing her beauty queen smile, her eyes twinkling.

While she was making light of the impostor syndrome every trial lawyer feels, she said the best lawyers are the ones who know they have something new to learn every day.

“I think for me, it’s not been that there’s a moment when I went ‘I’ve got this,’ ” Black said. “There comes a time though, at least for me, when I realized that I was the authority figure in the room and that people were looking to me for direction, for strategy. … Being in leadership at NCAJ, that sort of forces you into that position and I’m very grateful for NCAJ making it where my learning is quite holistic in how things have to happen in the state of North Carolina.” 

Janet Ward Black died on Sunday, Nov. 2, after a brief battle with ALS. She was 66. A memorial service with a reception to follow will be held in the Mullin Life Center Friday, Nov. 14, at 1 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 617 N. Elm St., Greensboro. A section of the church will be reserved for attorneys. Find her obituary here.

County Captains, Ebbie Awards

A Kannapolis native, Black won a chemistry scholarship to attend nearby Davidson College, where her childhood dreams of becoming a doctor withered as soon as she took organic chemistry her freshman year. She pivoted to law.

“I would have made a rotten doctor,” Black recalled. “I would have been able to help one person at a time, perhaps. But now because of the role that I’ve gotten to play – in NCAJ in particular but as a lawyer – I’ve affected lots and lots of people, whether it’s individual cases or groups of cases or whether it’s our work in the legislature.”

NCAJ President Carma Henson said the loss of Black leaves a deep hole in the hearts of many.

“Janet Ward was a bright light in this world, bringing with her poise, grace, and hope wherever she went,” Henson said. “She was a wonderful lawyer, but she was so much more than that, and I know I am only one of many who was inspired by the way she led with grace and integrity; by the way she commanded respect by being respectful, thoughtful, and wise; and by the way she generously and selflessly gave back to her communities- sharing her time, her talents, and her love with so many in all facets of her life.  I will be eternally grateful for her support, encouragement, and friendship over the years.”

As founder and owner of Ward Black Law, Black led one of the state’s largest woman-owned law firms. Throughout her career, she used her leadership positions to fight for clients, enhance the reputation of trial lawyers and advocate for the rights of individuals.

She served as NCAJ vice president of membership and legislative vice president before becoming the organization’s third woman president in 2002. As president, she established the County Captain program which designated an NCAJ member in each of the state’s 100 counties to identify legislative issues and coordinate outreach. Black understood the vital role NCAJ played as the sole advocacy group representing the interests of its members and their clients.

Another of Black’s legacies was the establishment of the Ebbie Awards, named for Ebbie Bailey, first lady emeritus of NCAJ, who helped founding member Allen Bailey establish the Academy more than 60 years ago. Ebbies are presented by the president in recognition of service and inspired commitment to NCAJ.

Janet Ward’s Magic

While she touched lives on a wide scale, Black also built profound personal relationships within the organization. Rebecca Britton, who served as the fourth woman president of NCAJ, following Black as the third, recalls that she and “JW,” as she called her, shared a special bond.

“When I opened Britton Law in 2010 it was in no small part due to JW’s influence and inspiration,” Britton said. “After I opened Britton Law in October 2010 a box was delivered to the office from JW. I opened it to find a pink feather boa and a silvery plastic jeweled tiara along with a note that said, ‘Congratulations Queen B!’ … Her support and encouragement in so many things and in so many ways over the years meant so much to me not only because I loved her, but because JW was just simply a force of nature. While so many who were touched by this amazing woman will miss her terribly and there will be an empty seat at so many tables going forward, I can only begin to imagine the ideas and plans she is already hatching and implementing to help and support God’s work from heaven!”

Mark Sumwalt, whom Black picked to succeed her as NCAJ president, remembers her “rare and unique ability of empowering others.”

 “In her always positive ways, she was able to lift up so many around her,” Sumwalt said. “She believed in others, including me, long before we truly believed in ourselves.  Through her quiet, humble and unassuming way, she made a profound difference in this organization, my life, and the lives of others both inside and outside of this state.  I will miss her dearly.”

Helen Baddour was a child attending NCAJ events with her parents when she first met Black.

“She radiated light and poise, and I just wanted to know her,” she said. “When I ultimately decided to become a lawyer, Janet Ward took me under her wing, always making a point to seek me out in the room. This was part of Janet Ward’s magic — she made you feel special. Because to her, you were special. … Janet Ward was the best kind of leader: one who listens more than she speaks, out prepares her opponent every time, and treats everyone with the utmost respect and dignity, even when she disagrees with their views. When she spoke, I always took notes.”

In her Legends interview Black said she could not imagine having been anything but a trial lawyer. All it took was conquering her fears.

“You have to do it afraid,” Black said. “There are so many things in my life that I didn’t choose to do because I was afraid, and if you can just get to the point where you can push through that and realize that it may be a limiter of you in your practice or your representation of your client or your ability to really change the world. I think you just have to learn how to do it afraid. I’m far from perfect but I’m a whole lot better than I was when I walked into Duke Law School.”