Still Here For the Fight

Living Up To the Founders’ Vision 60 Years Hence 

In 1962, a small group of visionary North Carolina attorneys banded together to form the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, now the North Carolina Advocates for Justice. At a time when large corporate firms dominated the legal and legislative landscape, their goal was to organize and train up a cadre of lawyers to even the scales of justice for individuals who found themselves opposed to powerful interests. As the legendary Joe Cheshire said, “they wanted to fight for people who couldn’t fight for themselves.”  

They knew it would be difficult. But they were there for the fight. And NCAJ has been there for the fight ever since.  

In 2022, NCAJ communications guru Amber Nimocks tracked down several of our past presidents back almost 50 years and asked them to share the challenges and accomplishments of their tenures. Their responses suggest the importance and breadth of the work this organization has engaged in over the past decades: 

• combatting tort and workers’ compensation reform in the early 1990s; 

• passage of legislation prohibiting the execution of people with intellectual disabilities in the late 90s; 

• the med mal wars of the early 2000s. 

For over 60 years NCAJ has advocated for fair laws, and for the fair application of those laws. We have been there for the fight. 

As I finish up my term as president it is a good time to see how this organization is measuring up to the task set for us by our founders. Are we still here for the fight? 

Making Progress on All Fronts

You probably already know that our advocacy program recently delivered significant positive changes to North Carolina’s motor vehicle insurance requirements. This session we look to build on those successes. Just as important, our advocacy team continues to put us at the table when legislation that would affect the people we represent is considered. That has not always been the case. Our PAC still punches above its weight. 

Our legal affairs team leads our efforts to shape appellate law, moving nimbly and aggressively to support arguments critical to our clients. Sometimes through moot courts, sometimes amicus briefs, sometimes both. We are fortunate to have this skilled group of lawyers on our side. 

Despite existential challenges, from the pandemic to changing expectations, our continuing legal education remains world class. Over the past year NCAJ offered 53 live seminars attended by 1,824 attendees. As of this writing, another 746 lawyers have attended our on-demand offerings. Our change to a two-year CLE calendar is a subtle but very important pivot. 

The NEXT leadership program continues to breathe new life into this organization. Ultimately these young leaders will be the face and heart of this organization. 

At a time when trial lawyer organizations across the country are struggling to maintain membership and replace retiring members with young lawyers, NCAJ saw a 9% increase in two- to five-year attorney membership from 2024 to 2025. We also saw a continued increase in student memberships. Overall, we saw a 1% increase in membership for 2025 and are climbing back towards our pre-pandemic levels.  

And it is good that our numbers are strong because our organization is comprised of the very best attorneys in North Carolina. Our attorneys were counsel of record in many of the most complicated and important legal cases heard in the courts this year. And where our attorneys were not counsel of record, they were frequently filing amicus briefs. 

Take Care of Yourself and Keep Fighting

It is also the case that our attorneys are some of the very best people in North Carolina. I reported earlier that after the devastation of Helene, every single attorney I spoke with was working on some form of relief effort, some organized, but many ad hoc. The lawyers who lived in the affected areas doubled down on their ongoing efforts to help the citizens of their communities. And those fortunate enough to live in other communities were tripping over each other to find ways to help. 

I am pleased to report that we are financially sound. We forever owe our thanks to a courageous group of early members who bought a property on Annapolis Drive, to another group who paid the note off in 1996, and to a third group of our members who had the courage to timely sell that property a few years back. And we owe our thanks to our professional staff, who do not just endure the prudent management of our funds but insist on it. 

Speaking of our professional staff, you ought to know that they are great — not just good, but great. I am astounded at the volume of high-quality work they help produce for us, under Shannon Leskin’s vigorous leadership. The work increasing the level and number of sponsorships has been outstanding. And we need it, because nobody throws a party like NCAJ. 

I want to thank Shannon for her continued outstanding performance as our executive director. 

And I want to thank the members of the Executive Committee, every one of whom did outstanding work for you this year.  

And I want to thank our fantastic President-elect Carma Henson. She will be a great president of this organization. But most of all I want to thank you, the members of NCAJ, for the rare opportunity to serve this year. 

You may have noticed that there is a broad sense of unease in our country, our world. People are questioning the rule of law, which strikes at the heart of our democratic principles. 

What do we do? 

First, always, take care of yourself. Find the time to do the things that make you whole, with the people that make you happy. 

Second, do what we have always done. In big ways and small. Fight for the underdog. 

Because we are needed now more than ever. We are here for the fight.