I’ve been involved in the North Carolina Bar Association for a number of years, and this year, I’m the chair of the Criminal Justice Section. My work with the NCBA fits well with my work at the School of Government, because broadly, both organizations are dedicated to improving the court system and the professionalism of the participants in it. So I hope readers won’t mind if I use this blog, just once, to call attention to an NCBA event that is open to, and may be of interest to, folks who aren’t NCBA members.
Each year, the Criminal Justice Section recognizes one outstanding prosecutor and one outstanding defense attorney. The former wins the Peter S. Gilchrist Award, while the latter takes home the Wade M. Smith Award. (You can probably deduce who the first recipients of the awards were.) This year’s Gilchrist Award will be given to Bill Kenerly, the elected district attorney in Rowan County, while the Smith Award will go to Jim Cooney, a partner at the Womble Carlyle law firm in Charlotte. You may already know our award winners, personally or by reputation — but if you don’t, you should. They’re exemplary lawyers and exceptional people.
The hardware is bestowed at an awards dinner, which this year will take place on Thursday, November 18, at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro. Criminal Justice Section members should already have received invitations by email, but the dinner is not limited to members. For more information about the dinner, contact me. The program will feature remarks by, and about, each of our honorees. Although past performance is no guarantee of future results, previous years’ dinners have been inspiring events.
For more information about the Criminal Justice Section generally, click here.