NCAJ Celebrates Accomplishments of 10 Leaders Furthering the Cause of Justice

NCAJ presented awards to 10 leaders who have helped further the cause of justice across the state during Convention 2026 in Wilmington, June 25 and 26. Those honored included leading plaintiffs’ and criminal defense attorneys, NCAJ’s executive director, a trial judge, an appellate judge, a paralegal and a broadcast journalist.

The honorees were:

• Joe Cheshire, Wade E. Byrd Lifetime Justice Award
• John McCabe, Founders Award, the highest award given by the Advocates for Justice. For extraordinary service to justice and to the Advocates for Justice in the tradition of our founding members, Allen Bailey, Charles Blanchard, James Clontz, Eugene Phillips and William Thorp.
• Shannon Leskin, Henson McCabe Miller Leadership Award, given in circumstances such as outstanding leadership during a legislative session or outstanding leadership/assistance in a public service project.
• Andy Banzhoff, Thurgood Marshall Award, established to recognize extraordinary and selfless service to the people of North Carolina in keeping with the legacy of Justice Thurgood Marshall.
• Anabel Rosa, Annie Brown Kennedy Award, given for commitment to acquiring full freedom for all citizens of North Carolina and exceptional advocacy that protects individual liberties. Recognizes active service in their local community with a focus on the status and welfare of families and minority citizens.
• Jacob Morse, Charles L. Becton Teaching Award, given for excellence in the teaching of trial advocacy.
• Judge Allegra Collins, Outstanding Appellate Judge Award
• Judge Alan Thornburg, Outstanding Trial Judge Award
• Rana Holcomb, Robby Price Award, presented to a paralegal that has made significant contributions in the fight for justice on behalf of their clients and the citizens of North Carolina.
• Keely Arthur, Excellence in Journalism Award, which recognizes a print or broadcast journalist whose work has contributed to protecting people’s rights.

Read more on the award recipients in the article below, reprinted from Trial Briefs.

John McCabe, Founders Award

The highest award given by the Advocates for Justice recognizes extraordinary service to justice and to the Advocates for Justice in the tradition of our founding members, Allen Bailey, Charles Blanchard, James Clontz, Eugene Phillips and William Thorp.

NCAJ Immediate Past President Kevin Bunn, who nominated John McCabe, said that he epitomizes the “advocate” in the North Carolina Advocates for Justice.

“He is a fierce advocate not just for his own clients, but for everybody else’s clients,” Bunn said. “When John saw the unfairness of the $150,000 cap on state tort claims, he worked to fix it. Same thing with the minimum limits and limits and UIM credit laws. There are few people who will advocate with absolute devotion for causes simply because it is the right thing to do. John is one of those.”

McCabe is a longtime NCAJ member and has taken on countless leadership roles including serving as the NCAJ president in 2021-22. He has similarly served his alma mater, Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, where he is chair of the Board of Visitors.
McCabe heard the call of the legal profession when he was 8 years old but didn’t truly understand why he wanted to be a lawyer until the day he met with his first injured client. Since 1995, McCabe has focused exclusively on advocating for people across the country who have been injured by trucking collisions, medical negligence, defective products and on-the-job accidents. An aggressive advocate, McCabe also works to get unfair laws changed to level the playing field for individuals facing off against the government or big corporations.

In recent years, McCabe led efforts to increase the mandatory automobile liability insurance limits in North Carolina and to abolish the unfair credit insurance companies formerly received in underinsured motorist cases. He worked tirelessly with legislators and leaders in the legal community to achieve these changes to state law, the first of their kind in decades. NCAJ honored his service and dedication by renaming the organization’s special award the Henson McCabe Miller Leadership Award, in honor of him, David Henson and Stacy Miller.

It was not the first time McCabe’s work on changing legislation led NCAJ to recognize his efforts with an award. He had been out of law school just a few years when he took the case of a young mother named Kellie and her daughter who were catastrophically injured in a head-on collision with a state Department of Transportation dump truck. At that time, a state law limited a plaintiff’s damages to $150,000, less than half of what Kellie needed to pay her medical bills. McCabe enlisted the help of NCAJ colleagues to get the law changed to raise the limit for plaintiffs’ recoveries to $500,000. The resulting settlement for Kellie’s family was 10 times more than what the state initially offered. Today, NCAJ continues to honor outstanding clients and attorneys with their Kellie Crabtree Award.

McCabe is an active supporter of Catholic Charities and the YMCA in Cary. He coaches youth basketball with the Apex Parks & Recreation Department and sponsors youth basketball, baseball and softball teams in Cary and Apex. An avid tennis player, he is a stalwart supporter of the North Carolina Tennis Foundation and the U.S. Tennis Foundation, which offer educational opportunities for under-resourced young athletes. McCabe also created a scholarship that recognizes Campbell Law students who volunteer and give back to their communities.

Shannon Leskin, Henson McCabe Miller Leadership Award

The award is given in circumstances such as outstanding leadership during a legislative session or outstanding leadership/assistance in a public service project.
NCAJ Past President John McCabe described Leskin as “a leader in every sense.”

“In 2022, when NCAJ faced an unsettled and uncertain moment following the resignation of its executive director, Shannon stepped forward without hesitation to serve as interim executive director. She did so selflessly, taking on significantly greater responsibility without seeking additional compensation, and immediately brought a sense of calm, stability and credibility to the organization,” McCabe said. “True leaders run toward challenges, not away from them, and Shannon embodies that principle. She skillfully navigated a difficult transition period, providing reassurance to NCAJ’s talented professional team and steadying the organization at a critical time. Within weeks, what once felt like choppy waters had calmed, and it was clear to all who watched her lead — especially during her address at the 2022 Annual Convention — that Shannon possessed that rare, intangible quality of leadership: confidence, presence and the ability to inspire trust.

“Since accepting the role on a permanent basis, Shannon has led NCAJ to some of the most significant successes in its history, including helping secure the passage of legislation once thought unattainable — benefiting not only the organization, but all North Carolinians. She is a leader in every sense: thoughtful and attentive, always ensuring people feel heard; experienced and insightful, drawing on a strong nonprofit background; and action-oriented, focused on what can be achieved rather than what cannot. Steady, smart and approachable, Shannon leads with both strength and humility. There is no one more deserving of the Henson McCabe Miller Leadership Award, and it is a privilege to recognize her extraordinary contributions to NCAJ.”

Leskin is a management and governance expert with more than 40 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Over the course of her career, Leskin has been privileged to work with some of our country’s finest nonprofit institutions in the arts, health and education sectors: The Smithsonian Institution, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America, The United Way of America and Duke University, among others. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Andy Banzhoff, Thurgood Marshall Award

The award was established to recognize extraordinary and selfless service to the people of North Carolina in keeping with the legacy of Justice Thurgood Marshall.

Andy Banzhoff has practiced law in Asheville since 1999. He handles a broad range of civil and criminal litigation cases throughout Western North Carolina, and he handles appeals in North Carolina and federal courts. His practice areas and recent cases include all types of felony cases, driving while impaired, appeals, white collar criminal cases and civil asset forfeiture.

He served on the Board of Governors for the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and as president of NCAJ in 2023-24 and is a past-chair of NCAJ’s Criminal Law Section.

Kevin Bunn nominated Banzhoff for the award, describing him as “an absolute warrior for protecting the rights of the accused.”

“In 2014, Andy was awarded the Ebbie Award, which is given by the current president of NCAJ in recognition of service and inspired commitment to the organization. In 2017, he received the Ebbie Award again,” Bunn said. “That is not supposed to happen; it is supposed to be a one-time thing. But it is no surprise that it happened to Andy. For many years, Andy has practiced law at the highest level, and for the highest stakes. He has been a fierce advocate for the accused, and a critical piece of our organization. And he has done it all with a quiet humility, never drawing attention to himself. Only Andy could be so important to be recognized with an Ebbie, and so unassuming that he gets another and the Thurgood Marshall Award.”

In addition to his service in NCAJ, Banzhoff has served as chair of the Criminal Justice Act Panel Selection Committee for the Western District of North Carolina and as president of the Buncombe County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

He graduated from the University of Tampa in 1995 with a B.A. in political science. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Wake Forest University School of Law in 1999. He is a Board-Certified Specialist in State and Federal Criminal Law by the North Carolina Board of Legal Specialization. He is admitted to practice in all state courts in North Carolina, the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.

Anabel Rosa, Annie Brown Kennedy Award

The award is given for commitment to acquiring full freedom for all citizens of North Carolina and exceptional advocacy that pro-tects individual liberties. It recognizes active service in their local community with a focus on the status and welfare of families and minority citizens.

Rosa has a longstanding record of public service advocating for the Hispanic-Latino community in New York and in North Carolina and has been recognized for her service to this community on the local, state and national levels. She was a member of former Gov. Roy Cooper’s Hispanic Latino Council where she served as parliamentary officer and headed a subcommittee on Public Safety. She is also a founding member of the Mayor of Durham’s Hispanic Latino Committee, board member of El Centro Hispano and board member of the NC Theater.

Kevin Bunn nominated Rosa. “Anabel is a passionate advocate, particularly on behalf of the Hispanic-Latino community,” Bunn said. “The more difficult the environment becomes for her causes, the harder she fights. She is a teacher at heart. And if you pay attention, she will teach you the difficult lessons. Everyone who spends time around her comes away better for the experience.”

Rosa is a former member of the NCAJ Board of Governors, and currently serves on the NCAJ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. She was a contributor to the creation of NCAJ’s Immigration Law Section and its efforts to help Hispanics and Latinos update legal documents pro bono. Rosa has also actively participated in NCAJ’s Hispanic/Latino Division where she has served as executive secretary, chair and division chair.

Before organizing her own legal practice in August 2022, Rosa was a shareholder and personal injury attorney at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin for over 12 years. She has more than 25 years of legal experience in the area of torts and has litigated employment discrimination and harassment claims in New York and in her native jurisdiction of Puerto Rico.

Rosa attended Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications where she graduated with a B.S. in three subject areas: television production, Spanish literature and psychology. She continued her education at Syracuse University, obtaining an M.A. in Spanish literature.

Following graduation, Rosa moved to New York City where she accepted a position as a reporter for a bilingual television station. While preparing a news story, she met then-Manhattan Borough President David Dinkins, which led to a position as assistant press secretary. When Dinkins became mayor in 1990, she went with him to City Hall.

Jacob Morse, Charles L. Becton Teaching Award

The award is given for excellence in the teaching of trial advocacy.

Jacob M. Morse graduated cum laude from Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, where he was the inaugural recipient of the Leadership Scholar Award (now the Leary and Joy Davis Leadership Scholarship), a full-tuition scholarship that recognizes students with the potential to become leaders in the law. During law school, he was a member of Campbell Law School’s nationally recognized mock trial team, where he earned more individual trial advocacy accolades than any other student in Campbell Law School history.

Amanda Memmler nominated Morse for the award. “Jacob began coaching mock trial at Campbell in 2017 and has coached a team during nearly every semester since,” she said. “He has coached numerous regional championship teams as well as national championship teams in both the National Civil Trial Competition and the American Association of Justice’s Student Trial Advocacy Competition.

“His commitment to training the next generation of advocates extends beyond trial team coaching. He serves on the fundraising committee for the North Carolina High School Mock Trial Program’s Board of Directors, as the co-chair of the AAJ Law School committee — tasked with overseeing STAC — and regularly mentors new lawyers on courtroom practice and evidentiary issues. Last year, Jacob taught on the faculty of Campbell Law School’s inaugural Advocacy Training Institute, travelling to Ghana to provide trial advocacy training to local attorneys and law students in partnership with the Ghanian University of Cape Coast.”

Prior to founding Morse Fritts PLLC, Morse was a member of a consumer class action and complex litigation group at an international law firm. He has also worked at a boutique plaintiff’s law firm and was a member of a commercial litigation practice group at a large regional law firm, where he focused on business-related civil litigation.
Morse was a member of the inaugural NCAJ NEXT Leadership Program cohort and serves as secretary of the New Lawyers Division.

Judge Allegra Collins, Outstanding Appellate Judge Award

Judge Allegra Collins has served on the bench since her election in 2019. She also actively engages with students, lawyers and judges on appellate practice, legal writing and judicial decision-making as a senior lecturing fellow at Duke Law School, an adjunct professor at Campbell Law School and a recognized voice in the LinkedIn learning community. Prior to joining the court, she was a full-time faculty member at Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law and an appellate practitioner in her own firm, representing clients before state and federal appellate courts. She previously served as a law clerk to Judge Linda Stephens on the North Carolina Court of Appeals and as an assistant appellate reporter at the Supreme Court of North Carolina.

NCAJ President Carma Henson nominated Collins. “Judge Allegra Collins has built her career around the craft of appellate law — both in the courtroom and the classroom,” Henson said. “Since joining the North Carolina Court of Appeals in 2019, she has approached her role with a deep respect for the responsibility it carries. Before taking the bench, she worked closely within the appellate system, including clerking on the Court of Appeals and contributing to the work of the North Carolina Supreme Court, experiences that gave her an early and lasting appreciation for the care and discipline required in judicial decision-making. That sense of responsibility is evident in how she carries herself as a judge — consistently professional, thoughtful and grounded, while remaining approachable and genuine in her interactions.

“Judge Collins’s commitment to the law extends beyond the bench. Through her work teaching law students — particularly in legal writing and appellate practice — she has invested in the development of future lawyers and reinforced the importance of precision, clarity and disciplined reasoning. She is known for her genuine love of the law and for taking seriously the duty to get each decision right. Her approach is methodical and thorough — she reads the full record, puts in the time and does the work necessary to reach a well-reasoned result. For Judge Collins, the goal is not simply efficiency, but accuracy and integrity; she is committed to doing things the right way, even when that requires more effort, reflecting both her respect for the judicial role and the people whose cases come before her.”

Before her legal career, Collins was a world-class athlete. She represented the United States in two Pan American Games as a member of the Women’s National Handball Team and played professionally in Europe, and she competed as a world-ranked tennis player. She played collegiate tennis at UCLA and William & Mary and was an AAU All-American basketball player.

Judge Collins earned her LL.M. in Judicial Studies from Duke Law School, her J.D. from Campbell Law School, and her B.A. from The College of William & Mary.

Judge Alan Thornburg, Outstanding Trial Judge Award

NCAJ Past President Valerie Johnson nominated Judge Alan Z. Thornburg, citing “his commitment to fairness and impartiality in his work as the Senior Resident Superior Court Judge for the 28th Judicial District.”

“His command of complex legal issues and his ability to manage difficult cases with steadiness and clarity are a model in judicial excellence,” Johnson said. “Judge Thornburg is dedicated to fairness and impartiality, and treating all involved in the proceedings with respect.

“Judge Thornburg practiced law and served on the North Carolina Court of Appeals before he began his service on the trial bench. His breadth of experience gives him the kind of well-rounded perspective that makes for an outstanding trial judge.”

Judge Thornburg has been a Superior Court judge for 17 years. He practiced law in Asheville before being appointed by Gov. Mike Easley in 2009 to the Superior Court bench. Judge Thornburg became the senior resident Superior Court judge later that same year.

Judge Thornburg grew up on a farm in Jackson County and attended public schools before graduating from Davidson College and Wake Forest University Law School. He served as legislative aide to Sen. Terry Sanford in Washington, D.C., and law clerk to Judge Sam J. Ervin III of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
In addition to his regular duties, Judge Thornburg presides over Buncombe County’s Adult Drug Treatment Court. He also serves on the state’s Judicially Managed Accountability and Recovery Court Advisory Committee.

Rana Holcomb, Robby Price Award

The award is presented to a paralegal that has made significant contributions in the fight for justice on behalf of their clients and the citizens of North Carolina.

Holcomb writes that she always wanted to be a lawyer. “My mom said I’d make a good one because I could and would argue with a stop sign. I questioned everything, wanting to know why certain things were the way they were. What was wrong with desegregation? Why were people treated differently because of the color of their skin? Why were there people in our country going hungry? Why were gas prices so high? Why was there so much conflict in the Middle East? I learned early on (mid-1960s through the late 1970s) that parents and grandparents did not like to answer questions about the issues of the day. So, I studied and read and listened and formed my own opinions. As I became an activist at an early age, some of the older generations in my family considered me rebellious. I am an activist/protester to this day.”

Holcomb holds an associate’s degree in paralegal technology and is a North Carolina State Bar-certified paralegal. Her first job in the legal field was in 1986, and in 1988, she was hired as a paralegal in employment law and workers’ compensation law, and for the first time became a trial paralegal.

From 1991 to 2014, she worked for law partners Griff Morgan, Hoppy Elliot, David Pishko and Ellen Gelbin. In 2014, she joined Daggett Shuler as a litigation paralegal in the Personal Injury Department.

Her volunteer activities have included SCAN, Family Services, the Central Family YMCA (where she served on the board), Adopt-A-Street and Crossing 52. She was a youth group leader and Sunday school teacher at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church. She continues to volunteer with the Safe Sober program and the Kids for Kids and Smiley Triathlons sponsored by Daggett Shuler.

“My legal career has allowed me to meet and to work with many wonderful people in the legal field in North Carolina,” Holcomb said. “It has allowed me to aid clients who really need our advocacy, who need someone to stand with and for them and who put their trust in us to believe in them and to do our best for them. I am proud to be in a profession that works for the benefit of others, and I am thankful that I continue to work for great people who believe in helping others.”
Ben Winikoff nominated Holcomb for the award, saying that she is “as good as they come.”

“Her knowledge of the law, procedure and evidence is unmatched,” he said. “She has worked with many NCAJ Members, including Dave Pishko, Griff Morgan and Hoppy Elliot (while at Elliot Pishko Morgan), and with David Daggett, Griff Shuler and me at Daggett Shuler in advancing their cases and serving as a fearless litigation paralegal on personal injury, civil rights and employment law cases. I consider it a privilege to work beside her on a daily basis.”

Keely Arthur, Excellence in Journalism Award

The award recognizes a print or broadcast journalist whose work has contributed to protecting people’s rights.

From riots to hurricanes, local education issues and COVID-19, Arthur has covered a wide range of topics since joining WRAL as a general assignment reporter and fill-in anchor. Before coming to North Carolina, Arthur served as the lead breaking news reporter and morning show anchor at WISC in Madison, Wisconsin.
Pat Wallace nominated her for the award, citing her coverage of the toxic legacy of Poe Hall, which first came to light in November 2023 when North Carolina State University announced the closure of the campus building following tests that revealed dangerous levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

“Keely has doggedly covered this story ever since,” Wallace said. “Through documents she obtained via public record requests, Keely revealed that university administrators had been aware of concerns about what employees were being exposed to more than a decade before the building was finally closed. She independently tracked and reported cancer cases when NC State refused to do so itself — ultimately receiving reports from more than 215 individuals claiming they developed cancer after working or studying in the building. She stayed on the investigation despite many roadblocks set up by NC State, including NC State’s initial rejection of a federal health hazard review (her reporting shamed NC State into reversing course).

“Keely’s reporting is the main reason that so many people know about the Poe Hall disaster and are now participating in lawsuits against NC State and Monsanto.”
Arthur’s awards include the Wisconsin Broadcasting Association’s Best Investigative Reporting and Best Continuing Coverage awards, a Chicago/Midwest Chapter Emmy Award and the Edward R. Murrow Award for Continuing Coverage for her work on the Poe Hall story.

Arthur is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she earned degrees in history and journalism.

Editor’s note: Pat Wallace’s firm Lee Segui, PLLC, is involved representing clients in the Poe Hall case, as are several other NCAJ members.