Jul., 2011 - Mecklenburg County Bar

MECKLENBURG COUNTY BAR
438 Queens Road
Charlotte, NC 28207
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July 2011
www.MeckBar.org

July 2011
A publication of the Mecklenburg County Bar /26th Judicial District Vol. 38 No. 1 © 2011 Mecklenburg County Bar
2 From The President
3 2012 MCB Membership
Directory Blue Pages
3 Submit Dues & Contact Info
3 Update from the Office of
Indigent Defense Services
4 Charlotte Legal Diversity
Clerkship
5 Paying the Piper
Mecklenburg County Bar members braved the heat and sun to enjoy the 99th Annual Meeting, BBQ lunch and the
6 Lunch With a Lawyer
opportunity to network with one another at Marshall Park.
On Thursday, May 19, 2011 the Mecklenburg County Bar (MCB) returned to Marshall Park in
6 Divesity Committee seeks
uptown Charlotte for its 99th Annual Meeting. More than 300 MCB members attended and
Mentors
enjoyed the traditional lunch of Bubba’s BBQ, baked beans and coleslaw.
Outgoing MCB President A. Todd Brown led those in attendance in a moment of silence to
7 MCB Young Lawyers Division
honor the following MCB members who passed during the year preceding: A. Marshall Basinger
II, Gary D. Chamblee, Charles B. Elderkin, Herbert A. Ferrari, George L. Fitzgerald, Joseph W.
8 Attorneys Sworn-In at Spring
Grier, Jr., Jeff T. Harris, Eugene C. Hicks II, Randall W. Lee, Solomon Levine, Ernest W. Machen,
Ceremony
Jr., D. Lane Matthews, Neil M. Miller, Donald M. Seltzer, William W. Sturges and William K. Van
Allen.
10 2011 MCB VLP Pro Bono
MCB Secretary Tricia Morvan Derr presented the minutes from the 2010 Annual Meeting,
Awards
which were approved, and MCB Treasurer Robert E. Harrington gave the Treasurer’s report.
The Volunteer Lawyer Program awarded the MCB VLP Pro Bono Awards to law firms and
11 Volunteer Lawyer Spotlight attorneys who generously served our community by donating their limited time and considerable
talents to those who could not afford legal services. Read about the winners on page 10.
12 Join a Section and Connect MCB Past President and Chair of the Nominating Committee Patrick E. Kelly presented the
with Colleagues
slate of MCB officers for 2011-12, all of whom were elected: President-Elect, Robert E. Harrington;
Vice President, Tricia Morvan Derr; Secretary, Lina E. James; and Treasurer, John C. Nipp. New
13 MAP-Bar Celebrates First MCB board members elected at the meeting included Brian S. Cromwell, Leslie K. Cooley, Tracy
Year
H. Hewett, Caroline A. Mansfield, Sean F. Perrin and Clark C. Walton. Amanda S. Smiley was
elected to serve as the Young Lawyers Division Chair/ex-officio member of the Board of Directors.
After election of the MCB Board members, The Honorable Marvin K. Gray administered the
13 The Bar Leadership Institute
oath to the 2011-12 MCB President Robert C. Dortch, Jr.
Committee
The MCB thank its sponsors: Year-Round Sponsors: Lawyers Mutual Liability Insurance of
14 Bar Foundation Fund North Carolina, SunTrust Bank, RBC Bank, Lawyers Insurance and GILSBAR; and Door Prize
Sponsors: Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, YMCA of Greater Charlotte, the
Cheesecake Factory, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden and Talbots.
2011 Annual Meeting Report

From The President
Robert C. Dortch, Jr.
MCB President
2011 Annual Meeting
Remarks
Well, it’s here. I knew more than a year
ago that this day would come. When I was
asked if I would consider taking on the
position of President-Elect of the
Mecklenburg County Bar (which for some
reason results in that person becoming
President), I knew there was this thing
called the “President’s Column” in the
monthly newsletter. No matter how many
people I asked, they all had the same
answer: yes, Bob, the President actually writes the President’s Column.
Really? But many of those same folks also said: not that many people
actually read the columns. So, I’ve got that going for me.
The 99th Annual Meeting of the 26th Judicial District, Mecklenburg
County Bar was held on May 19, 2011. After several cool and shady
years at First Presbyterian Church, the meeting returned to sunny
Marshall Park this year. Unlike last year, there was no hot topic on the
agenda and attendance appeared to be a little down from the prior year.
Approving meeting minutes and an annual budget just doesn’t have the
same attraction that raising your dues did a year ago. Todd Brown
welcomed everyone in attendance and highlighted some of the Bar’s
many achievements during his year as Bar president. Those
achievements were due, in large part, to his insightful and steady
leadership. Thank you for your service Todd.
The Bar and its 4300 members are in the midst of some very
exciting and challenging times. The Bar celebrates its 100th
anniversary in 2012. Many of our members are hard at work to ensure
that 2012 is an event-filled centennial celebration. Mark R. Bernstein
and Ray S. Farris co-chair the Bar History Committee and have been
hard at work, among other things, raising funds for The History of the
Mecklenburg County Bar, a book that chronicles the Bar’s past 100
years. Mark W. Merritt and Shirley L. Fulton and their Centennial
Celebration Subcommittee are busy putting together a gala, lecture
series, museum exhibition and receptions that will include at least one
nationally recognized speaker. Thanks to all of you for your hard work
and commitment to the Bar.
If you’ve been to the Bar’s headquarters at the corner of Queens
Road and Luther Street, you probably noticed that we’re out of space. It
is not unusual for 2 or 3 members of our dedicated staff to work in
spaces intended for one person or in what was previously storage
space. If you have attended one of the MCB’s CLEs, then you know
that there is not enough parking available to accommodate everyone.
The building itself is in need of some significant repairs. Pender R.
McElroy and William H. McMullen Jr. co-chair the Future MCB/MBF
Facility Committee. They and their committee continue to tirelessly
research and investigate numerous sites that might be suitable for the
future Bar/Foundation Center.
The Bar remains committed to promoting diversity throughout our
legal community and the Bar’s Special Committee on Diversity is one
means of doing so. One of the great successes of the Special Committee
is the Charlotte Legal Diversity Clerkship program. This year, more
than 300 first year law students from across the county applied for
seven summer clerkship positions. Their resumes are truly remarkable.
These young people spend half of their summer clerking with one of
the participating law firms and the other half clerking for the law
department of one of the corporate partners. This is a huge
undertaking by the law firm and corporate partners. Thank you for
your tremendous commitment of time, energy and funds to the
program.
Thank you to our public interest attorneys. To many of our citizens,
you are their sole definition of “lawyer”. You were not very happy with
the MCB Board when the dues increase was put to a vote at last year’s
Annual Meeting. Admittedly, the Bar has struggled in the past with
how to increase its relevance to the public interest attorneys. We’re
striving to do better and we will continue the dialogue with Public
Defender Kevin P. Tully and District Attorney R. Andrew Murray on
how best to serve you. It may help that four of your co-workers were
elected to the MCB Board of Directors at this year’s Annual Meeting.
Over the last few years, the Bar has taken significant steps towards
getting its administrative house in order. Past President John W.
Lassiter made it a priority to get a strategic plan in place. The strategic
plan has now been approved (and can be found on www.MeckBar.org)
thanks to the hard work of the Bar’s staff, Strategic Planning
Committee Co-chair Carla N. Archie and the Committee itself. The
plan sets out a road map on a broad range of topics that include board
governance, member services, communications and technology,
financial management and the future bar/foundation facility. The
Strategic Planning Committee is in the process of implementing best
practices for MCB committee structure to establish a more uniform
approach in establishing and maintaining committees with regard to
purpose, effectiveness, reporting, accountability, etc.
The economy remains a major concern to most of us. Budget
deficits are impacting an already underfunded judiciary. The NC
Administrative Office of the Courts issued a Voluntary Reduction in
Force Plan in January 2011. The Office of Indigent Defense Services
recently notified NC attorneys, judges and clerks that hourly rates for
court appointed counsel were reduced, effective May 2, 2011. Who will
continue to do court appointed work for $55-$70/hour? The answer
may be all of us if those already on the court appointed lists choose to
drop off those lists. It was recently reported that drug courts may very
well lose their funding. These are very challenging times for our friends
who work at the courthouse. We need your help in advocating for the
judicial branch of government.
We’re very fortunate to belong to a strong and respected Bar. We can
always make it better. Let us know how we can become more relevant
to you or your practice. If you are already active in Bar activities –
thank you. If you aren’t involved, I encourage you to call the Bar or me
and let us know you want to get involved. Let us hear from you. This is
a great Bar. You can make it better. If you have read this far – a special
thanks to you.
2 July 2011 www.MeckBar.org

2012 MCB Pictorial Membership Directory
Feature your firm in the
Blue Pages/Areas of
Concentration Listings
Over 5,000 MCB Directories are distributed annually. The 2012 edition will feature the
professional photographs of more than 2,000 MCB members and will certainly be a reference tool
for years to come.
The blue pages or "Areas of Concentration" are an invaluable listing of attorneys, indexed by
specific areas of practice. Attorneys listed in the blue pages under their area(s) of practice are at
the fingertips of anyone needing to make a referral or find an attorney in a specialized area of law.
To list yourself in the blue pages, visit www.MeckBar.org.
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL - PRICES VALID THROUGH AUGUST 12, 2011
Price increases by $25 for your first listing after August 12.
• First Area of Concentration - $100*
• Each additional specialty - $25*
• Listings marked with specific multilingual designation - single fee of $25 for all your
multilingual listings
To be included in the 2011-12 MCB Pictorial Membership Directory, we must receive your
order AND payment by September 19, 2011.
*All fees apply to each participating attorney, not each firm.
Update from the Office of
Indigent Defense Services
Some Mecklenburg County attorneys may soon need refresher courses in criminal law and
evidence.
The Office of Indigent Defense Services has notified North Carolina attorneys, judges and
clerks that hourly rates for court appointed counsel in criminal cases have been reduced, effective
May 2, 2011. The change comes as the N.C. General Assembly has indicated that the budget for
IDS will be severely reduced due to the current state budget problems.
The reduction in hourly rates has raised concern among court officials in Mecklenburg County
that many attorneys will opt to drop off the list from which court appointed attorneys are
appointed, leading to a shortage of attorneys willing to represent indigent defendants in criminal
cases. Planning has begun to address the potential shortage.
The hourly rate for Class A through D felonies in Superior Court will be $70. For all other
cases disposed of in Superior Court, the hourly rate will be $60. For cases disposed of in District
Court, the hourly rate will be $70 if the most serious original charge was a Class A through D
felony. The hourly rate for all other cases in District Court will be $55.
Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Richard D. Boner said recently that, in a worst case
scenario, all licensed attorneys practicing in Mecklenburg County could be subject to
appointment in criminal cases, regardless of the attorney’s practice specialty.
“Everyone from the senior partner of the largest law firm to the newest associate will be on the
list of court appointed attorneys. Real estate lawyers, estate lawyers, trial lawyers, everyone could
be drafted. No one will be exempt,” Judge Boner said.
Judge Boner and other court officials doubt that a mass draft will become necessary, but they
want to be ready to implement such a measure.
Submit Dues
and Contact
Information
by Sept. 30
Membership Dues Late Fee
A $15 late fee will be imposed on all dues
payments not received by September 30,
2011. You may pay your dues at
www.MeckBar.org or mail your invoice and
check to Mecklenburg County Bar, 438
Queens Rd., Charlotte, NC 28207.
Update Your Contact Information
Please update your contact information if it
has changed. You may log-in to your account
on www.MeckBar.org to confirm and/or edit
your current contact information or e-mail Jill
Wiggins at jwiggins@meckbar.org. All
changes must be made by September 30,
2011 to be reflected in the MCB 2011-12
Membership Directory.
Editorial Policy
The Mecklenburg Bar News accepts editorial
and advertising material of general legal
interest to the practicing Bar of the 26th
Judicial District. The implicit purposes of the
newsletter, website, and related methods of
communication are to educate members of
the Mecklenburg County Bar and to create
and maintain shared communication with its
members. The Communications Committee
reserves the right to accept, reject, or edit all
material.
DISCLAIMER Efforts will be made to provide
information of interest that is timely, accurate,
and relevant to the legal community. The
Mecklenburg County Bar is not responsible
for misprints, typographical errors, or
misinformation in The Mecklenburg Bar News.
The views and opinions are not necessarily
those of the 26th Judicial District Bar.
Communications Committee: J.P. Davis, Chair,
Justin Carpenter, Alan Edmonds, Bob
Johnston, Charles Keller, Rhea Kelley,
Hannah Little, Carrie Mansfield, Chara
Moore, Phillip Lewis, Nancy Roberson,
Michael Shor, Rob Wick
www.MeckBar.org July 2011 3

CLDC Hosts Sixth Class of Clerks
Charlotte Legal Diversity Clerkship (CLDC) students and MCB attorneys display their artwork after an introductory
painting course through the Community Schools for the Arts. Pictured left to right: Serena Rwejuna; Michael
Lawrence; JiWon Park; Yasir Latifi; Titilayo Tinubu; Subhan Baig; Kristi K. Walters; Apoorva Patel.
The Charlotte Legal Diversity Clerkship
(CLDC) program — a program of the
Mecklenburg County Bar (MCB) — is
hosting seven first-year law students in the
Queen City as part of
its 2011 CLDC class.
These students were
selected from 300
applications from
across the country for Charlotte.
the competitive
internship positions.
During the 12-week internship, the clerks
spend six weeks working for a law firm and
six weeks with a corporate legal department.
In addition, CLDC students participate in
professional and social activities, which are
representative of the lifestyle of practicing
law and living in Charlotte. This 2011
program features, among other activities, a
painting class at Spirit Square, lunch with
members of the judiciary, breakfast with
Mayor Foxx and a trip to the U.S. National
White Water Center.
All applicants provided academic and
professional resumes, along with a statement
explaining how they would contribute to the
goal of creating a more diverse legal
community in Charlotte. Representatives
from the CLDC firms and corporations
interviewed 24 semi-finalists in late February.
The highly-qualified candidates took part in
a two-day interview and attended a
networking reception with representatives
More than 23% of CLDC
alumni have returned to
from the law firms, legal departments and
the MCB.
“As the son of a Cuban immigrant and
second generation Italian immigrant,” wrote
Chris Baratta, first- year law
student at Emory University
School of Law, “I know firsthand
the challenges that
individuals in diverse
populations face.” Chris
added, “The culture shock
that I faced upon relocation [from Miami, FL
to High Point, NC in my early adolescence]
opened my eyes, for the first time, to the
necessity of promoting diversity in
furtherance of a harmonious and tolerant
society.” Chris will split his time during the
CLDC clerkship at K&L Gates and Bank of
America.
Founded in 2006, the CLDC operates
with one basic goal – to improve diversity in
our Bar by attracting top first-year law
students with diverse backgrounds to
Charlotte through corporate and law firm
summer internships. To date, the CLDC
program has hosted 43 first-year students
from 17 different law schools. Twenty-three
percent of the CLDC alumni have returned
to Charlotte for either a second year
clerkship or full-time employment.
The program operates under the leadership
of its co-chairs Rakesh Gopalan,
attorney at McGuireWoods LLP, and Michael
J. Lawrence, Assistant General Counsel at
CLDC student Yasir Latifi works to perfect his shading
technique.
Compass Group USA, Inc., under the
sponsorship of the Mecklenburg County
Bar's Special Committee on Diversity.
The following law firms and corporations
have participated as CLDC partner
employers during the past three years: Alston
& Bird, LLP; Bank of America; Compass
Group USA Inc.; Duke Energy Corporation;
Goodrich Corporation; Hunton & Williams;
K & L Gates; McGuireWoods, LLP; Moore &
Van Allen, PLLC; Parker, Poe, Adams &
Bernstein LLP; Mayer Brown; Robinson,
Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A.; TIAA-CREF; Wells
Fargo Corporation; and Womble, Carlyle,
Sandridge & Rice.
2011 CLDC Clerks:
• Subhan Baig,
Northwestern University School of Law
• Christopher Baratta,
Emory University School of Law
• Yasir Latifi,
University of North Carolina School of
Law
• JiWon Park,
Boston University School of Law
• Apoorva Patel,
Harvard Law School
• Serena Rwejuna,
Duke University School of Law
• Titilayo Tinubu,
University of California, Berkeley, School of
Law (Boalt Hall)
4 July 2011 www.MeckBar.org

Paying the Piper
By Camille Stell
Last year, international law firm Squire
Sanders (now Squire Sanders and Hammonds)
sued a client for $1.2 million in unpaid legal
fees. Not surprisingly, their client retaliated
with a legal malpractice lawsuit. In addition to
the $1.2 million in unpaid fees, the firm is
now running up its own legal bills by hiring
an outside law firm to represent them. It’s
hard to imagine how a law firm can allow a
client to run up so large a tab. The case
exemplifies the advice you might receive from
your malpractice provider to avoid suing your
clients for unpaid fees.
Law office management experts were
appalled that collections were allowed to
languish to the point that the client owed $1
million. To avoid this scenario, there are a few
rules you should follow:
1. Screen clients effectively on the front end.
Look for red flags of financial difficulty that
would prohibit a client from being able to
pay you. Also, look for red flags that would
prohibit a client from wanting to pay you.
Do they bash the legal system? Are they
cynical of lawyers? Do they protest each
and every charge?
2. Keep a close eye on account receivables.
When you see a client is more than 30 days
past due, reach out with a phone call or e-
mail. Offer a quick status report on their
matter, and then ask about the late bill.
Don’t be embarrassed to make the call. You
have earned your fee; it’s easier to collect
one month late than six months late.
3. Get help. Delegate responsibility to your
accounting department or a support staff
member to keep you apprised of
collections and to provide you with a
report when clients are late with payments.
You may also want the first reminder to
come from your staff, but don’t separate
yourself completely from the billing process.
It’s easy for a client to avoid your staff’s
request for payment, make it hard for them
to stiff you for the money they owe you.
4. Send timely bills. It’s easier for a client to
avoid paying you if they don’t get the result
they want. For this reason, you’ll also want
to keep your accounts receivable up to date.
Also, don’t wait too long after getting a good
result to final bill your client. They are the
most pleased with your work on the day
you give them the good news.
Rule 1.5 of the North Carolina Rules of
Professional Conduct guide a lawyer’s conduct
with regard to fees. Lawyers need to be explicit
with clients about fees. Put everything in
writing so there will be no misunderstanding
later. However, it is inevitable that sometimes
a client will fail to pay his bill for legal services
in a timely fashion or will simply refuse to pay
because he is unhappy with the outcome of
his case. In these circumstances, the lawyer
may feel his only recourse is to sue the client
for the cost of the unpaid services.
Before you decide to sue a client for fees
ask yourself the following questions:
1. Is the amount collectible? You cannot get
fees from a client who is broke. You might
get a judgment against the client, but you
will probably also find yourself defending a
malpractice suit.
2. Is the amount substantial? Is the amount
of money owed significant enough to cover
the costs, loss of reputation, time and
aggravation associated with a malpractice
suit? If not, you may be better off letting it
ride and claiming the tax deduction.
3. Did you obtain a good result for the client?
If not, it is more likely than not that the
client will blame you. The jury hearing the
malpractice suit might think that you not
only failed to do a good job for the client,
but that you are greedy as well. As the
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public becomes increasingly cynical about
the legal profession, it is less likely that
jurors will sympathize with an unpaid
lawyer who sues his client for fees after an
unfavorable result.
4. Has another attorney gone through the
file to see if there are any weak links that
could lead to a malpractice claim? If you
are going to take a chance on being sued
for malpractice, you will want to be sure
that you can argue that the counterclaim
for malpractice is without merit. An
independent peer review can help you
decide whether the attorney fees are worth
pursuing in light of the risk.
If, after answering these questions, you still
decide to pursue a lawsuit against your client,
you must first comply with Rule 1.5 of the
Rules of Professional Conduct regarding the
fee dispute resolution program. Please contact
the MCB at 704/375-8624 to learn more about
the fee dispute process. If you have any
questions about what to do if you find
yourself in this situation, you should contact a
claims lawyer.
Camille Stell is the Director of Client Services
for Lawyers Mutual. With over 20 years of
experience in the legal field, Camille has worked
for law firms as a paralegal, legal recruiter and
business developer. Contact Camille at
800/662.8843 or
Camille@lawyersmutualnc.com.
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www.MeckBar.org July 2011 5

CMS Students Lunch with Lawyers
Photo: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students and
their attorney mentors enjoyed the view of uptown
Charlotte atop the Mecklenburg County Courthouse.
Volunteer attorney mentors and student
mentees of the Lunch with a Lawyer (LwL)
program recently celebrated the end of the
2010-11 school year by participating in a
tour of the Mecklenburg County Courthouse
and a mock trial.
Maura Chavez of the Trial Court
Administrator’s office guided the visiting
students and attorneys through the
courthouse while providing an overview of
the local judicial system. The tour included
first-appearance courtrooms, traffic court,
judicial offices and introductions to District
Court Judge Matthew J. Osman and Superior
Court Judge W. Robert Bell. The student
mentees, who are now rising ninth graders,
have expressed an interest in a career in the
legal profession.
Judge Albert Diaz, founder of the LwL
program, facilitated a mock trial following
the tour. The case — involving an iPhone
stolen from a student in the school
cafeteria— allowed each attending mentee to
participate in some role of the judicial
system. From swearing in witnesses,
delivering opening and closing statements,
examining witnesses and testifying on the
stand, each student received a first-hand look
at courtroom operations. The mentors and
mentees concluded their day with lunch
where they discussed summer plans and
their expectations for high school.
The LwL mentors have visited their
assigned mentee’s school once per month for
lunch throughout the school year. LwL
mentors serve as positive role models for
diverse eighth grade students. Since the
program’s inception in 2006, more than 330
students and their attorney mentors have
participated in the program. The selected
students, who are recommended by their
principals and exhibit outstanding scholastic
achievement, are considering a future legal
career.
Diversity Committee Seeks Attorney
Mentors for 2011-12 School Year
Dear Colleagues,
The MCB Special Committee on Diversity is currently seeking volunteer attorneys
who are interested in making a difference in the life of a young person by mentoring
a student in the Lunch with a Lawyer program.
Through a partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), lawyers will
serve as mentors to rising eighth graders throughout the 2011-12 school year.
Mentors will meet with their paired mentee at least once a month for lunch, serving
as a positive role model and providing the student with a window into the legal
profession. Participating students, who are recommended by their principals and
represent a broad range of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, are considering a
future legal career.
All new volunteer attorneys will attend a program orientation in July 2011 to discuss
program expectations and to review tips for establishing a beneficial mentoring
relationship. Additionally, new volunteer attorneys will be required to submit to a
background check before being matched with a CMS student. The program officially
celebrates its kick-off with a luncheon in mid-August prior to the new school year.
Here, students, their parents and school administrators will meet their attorney mentors
and listen to guest speakers from the community during the kick off luncheon.
The MCB has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from lawyers and students
who have participated in this program in the past, many of whom have formed
relationships that will endure for years to come. If you or your colleagues are
interested in serving in the 2011-12 Lunch with a Lawyer program, please contact
Judge Albert Diaz (albert.diaz@ca4.uscourts.gov or 704/333-8025) or Judge Rickye
McKoy-Mitchell (Rickye.mckoymitchell@nccourts.org or 704/686-0141).
Sincerely,
Hon. Albert Diaz, Immediate Past Co-chair, MCB Special Committee on Diversity
Hon. Rickye McKoy-Mitchell, Co-Chair, Bench, Bar and Community Subcommittee
of the MCB Special Committee on Diversity
6 July 2011 www.MeckBar.org

MCB Young Lawyers Division
Working Together: The Future of YLD
By Amanda Sifford Smiley, Chair
Allow me to
introduce myself:
I am Amanda
Smiley and I have
the honor of
serving as the
2011–12 MCB
Young Lawyers
Division Chair. I
Amanda Sifford Smiley, Chair have been
involved with the YLD in various positions for
the past four years and I look forward to taking
on this mantle, following in the footsteps of
the excellent leaders the YLD has had during
that time.
Each of the YLD chairmen whom I have
had the pleasure to serve under have
identified particular areas in which to
concentrate and improve upon. This year, the
YLD will focus on improving our visibility
with a particular eye on open communications
and increased synergy with the MCB.
The stated purposes of the YLD, which
includes lawyers 36 years of age or under or
lawyers within their first three years of
practice, are to encourage the participation of
young lawyers in the purposes and objectives
of the Mecklenburg County Bar; assist young
lawyers through professional and social
activities; and conduct programs and projects
of interest to the general public.
As Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can
do so little. Together we can do so much.” The
YLD stands in a particularly good position to
help young lawyers find their place in the
legal profession and with the MCB. By
working together with the MCB, our hope is
to continue to foster our profession’s and
community’s future leaders. To further YLD
and MCB’s goals, our 2011–12 events will
include in-person Ask-A-Lawyer days, CLEs,
relevant group community service projects
and quarterly socials.
As a reminder to MCB and YLD members,
below is a brief description of the six YLD
Committees:
Community Service Committee —Facilitates
public service opportunities for YLD
members, which included this year providing
meals for the needy, building a Habitat for
Humanity house, participating in holiday gift
drives, clothing drives, etc.
Education Committee —Organizes activities
that educate the Mecklenburg County
community, including the Big Bad Wolf
Project, Lawyers Teaching Justice, Law
Explorers and the Academic Internship
Program.
Legal Assistance Committee —Organizes
projects which provide legal assistance to the
citizens of Mecklenburg County and/or North
Carolina as a whole, including Ask-A-Lawyer
Day and NCBA’s 4-All Service Day.
Social Committee —Organizes quarterly
socials for YLD members and provides other
events and gatherings which promote the
interests of YLD members.
Membership Committee —Focuses on
increasing YLD membership and ensuring
that the YLD meets the needs of its members.
This committee also organizes the MCB YLD
Young Lawyer of the Year Award and the new
lawyer swearing-in ceremonies.
Connectivity Committee —Ensures that the
YLD members are actively participating in the
goals and missions of the MCB. This
committee bridges the gap between the YLD
and the MCB and assists YLD members as
they increase their involvement in the MCB.
We encourage young lawyers to join us in
any of these committees – we always welcome
the help. If you’d like more information about
the MCB YLD or are interested in getting
involved in any of the above committees,
please contact me at asmiley@cshlaw.com or
704/ 940-3409 or our Connectivity
Committee Chair Carrie Mansfield at
cmansfield@charlottelaw.edu. We also have
worked to increase our visibility online and
have a presence on www.MeckBar.org and
Facebook. We encourage all YLD lawyers to
keep an eye on both pages as future events
and notices are posted there. We look forward
to having you join us for what promises to be a
great year for our Division and our Bar.
www.MeckBar.org July 2011 7

51 Attorneys Sworn-In at Spring 2011
Ceremony
Congratulations to the new attorneys who
were sworn in on Thursday, April 28, 2011 at
The Blake Hotel! Senior Resident Superior
Court Judge Richard D. Boner presided over
the state portion of the ceremonial court
session and U.S. Chief District Court Judge
Robert J. Conrad Jr. presided over the federal
portion of the ceremonial court session.
Daniel A. Merlin, chair of the Young Lawyers
Division, helped congratulate the newly sworn
in attorneys. The Young Lawyers Division
thanks its sponsor LexisNexis and the
Western District of North Carolina for their
support. Please welcome the following
Above: Each new attorney was introduced to the courts and Bar by an established member of the Bar.
Below: New attorneys swore or affirmed to support the Constitution of the U.S., bear true allegiance to the state of
N.C. and honestly demean his/her self in the practice of an Attorney.
attorneys to the North Carolina State Bar:
Victor H. Adelman
Tulane University
Loyola School of Law
Kelli Y. Allen
University of North Carolina – Charlotte
Charlotte School of Law
Stephen M. Anthony
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
North Carolina Central University School of
Law
William D. Anthony
University of California, Los Angeles
Southwestern University School of Law
8 July 2011 www.MeckBar.org

Tiffany Arrott
Loyola University, Chicago
Chicago – Kent College of Law
Leigha G. Blackwell
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
University of South Carolina School of Law
Natalie A. Blakeney
University of Florida
Howard University School of Law
Asya Bynum
Lincoln University
Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Lesley M. Cedrone
Wheaton College
New England School of Law
Jennifer L. Cianciolo
Bowling Green State University
Ohio Northern School of Law
Katherine E. Costello
Bucknell University
Loyola University Law School
Robert W. Cuffney
SUNY Geneseo
Charlotte School of Law
Marco E. Duque
Catholic University
Suffolk University Law School
Gonzalo E. Frias
University of Florida
American University Washington College of
Law
Kristen M. Goetz
Syracuse University
Florida Coastal School of Law
Meredith E. Green
Furman University
Wake Forest University School of Law
Laura B. Greene
Allegheny College
University of Toledo College of Law
Elizabeth A. Grymes
Northwestern University
Charlotte School of Law
Judith S. Haensel
SUNY Oswego
University of Muenster School of Law/
Wake Forest University School of Law
Clinton C. Hicks II
University of North Carolina – Wilmington
North Carolina Central University School of
Law
William L. Holby
University of Richmond
Vanderbilt University School of Law
Samuel L. Janniere
University of South Carolina
Howard University School of Law
Troy J. Huth
University of South Carolina
Charlotte School of Law
Lesley T. Keith
North Carolina State University
Charlotte School of Law
Kristen M. Lewis
Georgia State University
Wake Forest University School of Law
Jeffrey P. Martin
Colgate University
Charlotte School of Law
Matthew V. Matinata
Virginia Tech
Barry University School of Law
Whitney G. Maxwell
Virginia Tech
Liberty University School of Law
Blanche K. McBride
University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina School of Law
Rebecca T. McNerney
Clemson University
University of South Carolina School of Law
Rachel E. Miller
Kaplan University
Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Nina Moulas
Auburn University at Montgomery,
Alabama
Samford University, Cumberland School of
Law
Colleen E. Mulcrone
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
American University Washington College of
Law
Mark A. Noel
University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky College of Law,
University of Miami School of Law
Matthew E. Orso
University of Dayton
Saint Louis University School of Law
David A. Rea
University of Central Florida
Wake Forest University School of Law
Brian Roberts
University of California, San Diego
Wake Forest University School of Law
Brian A. Romano
Princeton University
Notre Dame Law School
Stephen J. Romeo
Villanova University
Widener University School of Law
Sarah B. Rose
University of North Carolina – Wilmington
Campbell University School of Law
Kristina A. Scally
University of Georgia
Washburn University School of Law
Blaine W. Schmidt
Queens University of Charlotte
University of North Carolina School of Law
Shailika K. Shah
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina School of Law
Brendan M. Shea
North Carolina State University
Charlotte School of Law
James W. Sheedy
Davidson College
University of South Carolina School of Law
Michael D. Spies
College of William & Mary
William & Mary School of Law
Jonathan M. Watkins
Lehigh University
Fordham University School of Law
Daniel E. Wall
University of North Carolina – Charlotte
Capital University Law School
Andrew M. Weiss
Ball State University
Indiana University School of Law
Anna H. Winger
North Carolina State University
Vermont Law School
John C. Woodman
Flagler College
Wake Forest University School of Law
www.MeckBar.org July 2011 9

MCB Volunteer Lawyer Program
2011 Pro Bono Awards
Seven pro bono awards were distributed
this year at the MCB Annual Meeting held
in Marshall Park on May 19, 2011. MCB
Executive Director Nancy M. Roberson
announced the awards as MCB President A.
Todd Brown presented the awards to the
winners. These attorneys exemplify the
status of attorneys as “public citizen[s]
having special responsibility for the quality
of justice” as written in the North Carolina
Rules of Professional Conduct.
Hunton & Williams received the Outstanding
Large Firm award for its ongoing
commitment to pro bono in Mecklenburg
County. In 2010, the Charlotte office
contributed more than 2,400 hours to pro
bono – averaging 82 pro bono hours per
attorney. They obtained these outstanding
numbers through innovative programs
relevant to the need in the community
including the Council for Children’s Rights
Custody Advocacy Program and Legal Aid of
North Carolina’s SSI Disability Program.
Hatcher Law Group was presented the
Outstanding Small Firm award for their
commitment to assisting the victims of
domestic violence in Mecklenburg County.
This nine-attorney firm has shown continued
dedication to Victim’s Assistance by taking
one pro bono case per week since 2007 and
contributing more than 175 hours this past
year. They also lead trainings on representing
victims of domestic violence so other
attorneys can assist this population as well as
giving monthly family law seminars for
women at the Mecklenburg County Women’s
Commission.
William L. Esser IV of Parker Poe Adams &
Bernstein LLP won the Outstanding
Individual Attorney award after being
nominated by Legal Aid of North Carolina
and Legal Services of Southern Piedmont for
his decade-long affiliation with both
organizations. His work has spanned many
areas including low-income clients in
housing, wills, consumer and tax cases. One
of his most inspiring cases took eight years to
complete and included filing a lawsuit
against a landlord on behalf of his client
which the landlord never paid. His clients
were forced to move out and subsequently,
lost touch with Will. Eventually, the landlord
paid the final judgment. Upon notification,
Will began the tedious process of tracking
down a lost client. After just a few days he
found her and was able to give her the check.
This is just one example of his dedication –
when urgent cases are turned down due to
firm conflicts, Will makes the effort to find
another attorney to assist the client. As Ken
Schorr, Executive Director of Legal Services
of Southern Piedmont and Ted Fillette,
Senior Managing Attorney of Legal Aid of
North Carolina explained, “He exemplifies
the spirit of pro bono service.”
These attorneys exemplify the
status of attorneys as “public
citizen[s] having special
responsibility for the quality
of justice”
Corey Rose of Dechert LLP received the MCB
Volunteer Lawyer Program Pro Bono Award
on behalf of Legal Aid of North Carolina.
He donated 325 pro bono hours in 2010 to
Legal Aid of North Carolina’s
Landlord/Tenant project. More than 150 of
those hours were dedicated to a grandmother
caring for her four grandchildren who moved
into an apartment with numerous defects.
When the landlord filed for back rent and
summary ejectment, Corey’s client was
awarded more than $7000 in damages.
According to his nomination, Corey does not
differentiate between his business clients and
his pro bono clients, treating them “with the
same professionalism and dignity” and
“preparing each case as meticulously as he
would a complex regulatory issue.”
Robert J. Hahn of Hunton & Williams
received the MCB Volunteer Lawyer
Program Pro Bono Award on behalf of Legal
Services of Southern Piedmont. Bob
dedicated more than 275 pro bono service
hours and closed 12 cases in 2010. This
number eclipsed the number of pro bono
cases closed by any other volunteer for LSSP
in 2010. Bob’s dedication to benefits cases is
impressive – he spent more than 60 hours on
a case from which a previous attorney had
withdrawn and was able to acquire benefits
for a young boy with a severe form of sickle
cell anemia. As one client explained about
Bob, he is a “good, good man and I thank
God he is a good attorney too.”
Melissa Davis Wright of Melissa Wright Law,
PLLC received the MCB Volunteer Lawyer
Program Pro Bono Award on behalf of
Council for Children’s Rights due to her
dedication in the last year to CFCR, but
more importantly to two children ensnared
in a very difficult custody case, in which
both parents and both children experienced
psychological problems of varying degrees of
severity. Melissa is thoroughly reliable in her
dealings with CFCR staff, the children, their
parents and the court. She spent in excess of
100 hours on behalf of these children – a
large contribution for any lawyer but
particularly for a sole practitioner like Melissa.
Jennifer Turner of Hedrick, Gardner,
Kincheloe & Garofalo received the Jane V.
Harper Pro Bono Award for service to the
26th Judicial District SelfServe Center as a
dedicated member of the SelfServe Center’s
Attorney for the Day Program. She has
selflessly given the program more than 30
hours of service from March 2010 through
March 2011 – the most of any attorney in
that time period. These hours include the
Attorney for the Day Program and
Supervising Custody / Divorce Clinics at the
Charlotte School of Law. Jennifer treats each
litigant with respect and values their
individual situation. Over the past year she
has received excellent ratings on all of the
evaluations provided by litigants of the
Attorney for the Day Program, the litigants
also expressed how helpful she was during
the consultation.
10 July 2011 www.MeckBar.org

Volunteer Lawyer Program SPOTLIGHT
Cynthia A. Aziz
Cynthia A. Aziz has worked with the
Washington, DC based group Catholic Legal
Immigration Network, Inc (CLINIC) for
many years to assist immigrants in complex
immigration litigation or challenging family
reunification situations. CLINIC was
established in 1988 by the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops to support a
rapidly growing network of communitybased
immigration programs. The network
employs roughly 1,200 attorneys and
paralegals who, in turn, serve 600,000 lowincome
immigrants each year. Maria Odom,
CLINIC executive director said “[Cynthia’s]
experience and commitment to providing
the very best representation to immigrants
in need has served as inspiration to many
immigration attorneys, including myself,
throughout the years.”
MCB VLP: Current Employer / number of
years with current employer?
CA: 21 years as principal and founder of
Aziz Law Firm – Immigration Specialists
MCB VLP: Area of Practice / Expertise?
CA: US Immigration and Nationality Law
MCB VLP: Law School?
CA: Mount Holyoke College for BA and
New England School of Law for J.D.
MCB VLP: How did you discover Catholic
Legal Immigration Network, Inc (CLINIC)
CA: I have been familiar with CLINIC for
many years as a resource in my practice
through their national educational seminars
and outstanding humanitarian work. I have
been serving as a volunteer attorney in
connection with CLINIC’s National Pro Bono
Project for Children since 2009. This project
is designed to provide pro bono
representation to unaccompanied noncitizen
children before the Immigration
Court and the Department of Homeland
Security.
MCB VLP: What is a typical case / issue
like?
CA: There is no “typical” case. The fact
patterns too often read like episodes from
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. My
youngest currrent client was barely one year
when he arrived in the U.S. with his then
pregnant 17 year old aunt. His mother had
been killed by my client’s grandfather in
Honduras. With the help of an attorney in
Brunswick County, Kim Smithwick, this
now three year old is subject of a Custody
Order which will permit this child to pursue
special immigrant juvenile status.
MCB VLP: How many of these types of pro
bono cases do you typically handle at one
time?
CA: I am currently the lead attorney on
three unaccompanied minor cases through
CLINIC in addition to several other pro
bono matters our firm is handling. Other
current pro bono cases have come to me
through Cabarrus County’s DSS (minor US
citizen born outside the US who is currently
in foster care), our local immigration court
(mentally impaired Iraqi refugee) and our
local volunteer attorney immigration court
project (Mexican teenager who fears gang
retribution in his home country). I have
successfully solicited the assistance of
several wonderful colleagues in the MCB to
assist me in handling a couple of these cases.
This team approach has made it feasible to
take on more cases than I otherwise might.
MCB VLP: How do you prepare for handling
them?
CA: When I am assigned cases from CLINIC,
I receive detailed reports that contain case
summaries including factual and procedural
information. In addition, I can contact a staff
attorney at CLINIC with questions, seek
guidance and support. There is an abundance
of information available through CLINIC’s
website, as well as special webinars on
immigrant children related issues.
MCB VLP: Did you participate in any
particular training so that you could handle
these cases?
CA: As a seasoned immigration practitioner
Cynthia A. Aziz
for more than 23 years, I have handled
similar issues for other clients. However, the
unique legal issues related to
unaccompanied minors continue to evolve
and there are special rules and exceptions
distinct from generally rigid immigration
procedural requirements. Therefore, it is
important for even the most seasoned
immigration practitioner to access the
materials and mentoring resources available
through CLINIC and local practitioners in
related disciplines involving children’s
issues.
MCB VLP: What is your hope for the future
with regard to these cases / issue?
CA: My hope is that our legal community
can find within its members some advocates
for these children. Not all will be entitled to
a legal remedy that will permit the children
to remain in the US, but the goal is to find
free legal help for these children so they are
guaranteed a fair day in court. These
children are truly among the most
vulnerable newcomers to our country and
region.
MCB VLP: How can the Mecklenburg
County legal community help with similar
cases?
CA: If you are interested in representing an
unaccompanied child in our local Charlotte
Immigration Court, please contact the
National Pro Bono Immigrant Children’s
Project by going to their site at
cliniclegal.org/pro-bono-kids-volunteerform-attorneys.
The projects coordinators will match you to
a child who has a case before the Charlotte
Immigration Court.
www.MeckBar.org July 2011 11

Join a Section and Connect with
Colleagues in Your Practice Area
The Mecklenburg County Bar offers 11
sections to serve its members within particular
fields. Each section sponsors Continuing
Legal Education programs on topics requested
by their membership and provides social,
networking and educational opportunities for
its members.
For detailed information on activities of a
specific section, please visit www.MeckBar.org
or contact Mary Jordan Samuel, Director of
Lawyer Volunteer & Community Service at
mjsamuel@meckbar.org or 704/375-8624
ext.115.
Business Law
Offers informational and educational
opportunities to business lawyers across a
broad range of substantive areas, including
banking, corporations and commercial law.
Provides networking opportunities to its
members in order to further the development
of business lawyers in Mecklenburg County.
Civil Litigation
Offers an annual CLE on litigation skills,
effective advocacy, electronic discovery,
litigation practice specialties, mediation and
arbitration skills. Promotes collegiality
between the bench and Bar by hosting semiannual
luncheons with local, state and federal
judges.
Corporate Counsel
Hosts seminars, roundtable meetings and
programs focused on problems of common
interest, including corporation and antitrust
law, attorney-client privilege, governmental
regulation, law department administration
and relations with outside counsel.
Membership is limited to attorneys employed
full-time in a corporation’s law department or in
any executive, managerial or supervisory
capacity.
Criminal Justice
Recognizes and addresses issues affecting all
participants in the criminal justice system
through educational programs on criminal
procedure, divergent ethical obligations and
heavy caseloads that include both domestic
and civil cases
Estate Planning & Probate
Plans educational programs about substantive
and procedural laws governing trusts, probate
estates, guardianships, conservatorships and
matters affecting estate planning and
administration. Hosts luncheons to promote
collegiality among section members and
Mecklenburg County estate clerks.
Family Law
Keeps members informed of the ongoing
changes and trends in the practice of family
law in Mecklenburg County by planning
monthly lunch and learn CLE programs.
Works with the Family Court Administrator
to inform family law attorneys of new
legislation and court procedures.
Immigration & Nationality
Provides opportunities for attorneys practicing
immigration law to meet with colleagues to
discuss the issues they face in everyday
practice. Collaborates with other practice
sections to educate attorneys on immigration
issues in different areas of practice.
Participates in Citizenship Workshops
throughout the year, held in conjunction with
International House and the Latin American
Coalition.
Juvenile Law
Provides opportunities for members to
enhance professional practice and improve the
outcomes of children and families in
Abuse/Neglect/Dependent Court and DJJDP
Court. Educational topics include trends in
child welfare law, interface among juvenile
court and schools and training in non-legal
areas of child development/family dynamics,
substance abuse/mental health treatment and
domestic violence.
Real Property
Meets quarterly to discuss issues regarding
real estate, housing and land use practitioners.
Plans educational programs to further the
knowledge of Section members in their
practice. Provides information to Section and
MCB members on legislative, finance, zoning,
land-use laws, legal opinions and landlordtenant
relations.
Sole Practitioner/Small Firm
Holds monthly luncheons with guest speakers
to provide Section members the opportunity
to network and discuss valuable lessons in
maintaining a solo or small firm. Topics of
interest include financial management, best
hiring practices, employee benefits,
immigration law, maintaining a small firm in a
recession and more.
Tax
Offers educational programs on federal and
local tax issues, including presentations by
leading practitioners and key government
officials in the field. Hosts roundtable
discussions to provide networking and social
opportunities while engaging in thoughtful
conversation regarding current tax law issues.
Any MCB member may enroll as a member
of a section by the payment of annual section
dues. Annual dues (each section) - $25;
ADA/APD dues (each section) - $10; Judicial
dues - $0. To join a section, visit
www.MeckBar.org, see your annual dues
invoice or call 704/375-8624.
Upcoming Events
7-21-11
Memorial Service for
George L. Fitzgerald
1:30 p.m., Mecklenburg County
Courthouse - Courtroom 5370
Friends and colleagues are encouraged
to attend and, if desired, say a few
words in celebration of Mr. Fitzgerald’s
life.
8-25-11
Memorial Service for Solomon Levine
1:30 p.m., Mecklenburg County
Courthouse - Courtroom 5370
Friends and colleagues are encouraged
to attend and, if desired, say a few
words in celebration of Mr. Levine’s
life.
12 July 2011 www.MeckBar.org

The MAP-Bar Celebrates Its First Year
By Mica L. Nguyen
“Welcome to the MAP-Bar!” This phrase
has been the resounding note from the
fledging organization in its first year of
inception. The Mecklenburg County Asian
Pacific American Bar (MAP-Bar) is a
networking resource for Asian Pacific
American (APA) lawyers in Mecklenburg
County and the surrounding areas. The MAP-
Bar welcomes attorneys with backgrounds
from Asia, Southeast Asia, India and the
Pacific Islands.
The MAP-Bar also has several law student
and affiliate members supportive of the
organization. Inclusive of its law student and
affiliate members, the MAP-Bar has more than
doubled its membership in its first year. The
MAP-Bar’s primary goal for its “early” years is
to formally establish the organization and
provide opportunities for APA lawyers to
connect with one another. In February 2011,
the MAP-Bar hosted a member social at Enso
Asian Bistro to celebrate the MAP-Bar’s first
year anniversary.
In its first year, the MAP-Bar has hosted
and co-sponsored several social events
including the Summer Associates Social in
July 2010 for law students spending their
summer in Charlotte. The MAP-Bar continues
to be supportive of the Charlotte Legal
Diversity Clerkship (CLDC) program that
welcomes minority students to premier law
firms and corporations in Charlotte for
summer associate positions.
Notably, the MAP-Bar has also partnered
with the Charlotte School of Law’s newlyformed
Asian Pacific American Law Student
Association (APALSA). Members of the MAP-
Bar participated in a Pro Bono Panel discussion
with the new APALSA members in October
2010. The MAP-Bar members are highly
supportive of the students’ organization.
In December 2010, the MAP-Bar members
also participated in a member survey to
address concerns and discuss ideas and
suggestions for the next year. The members
emphasized their desire for the MAP-Bar to
become a tool for the advancement of
diversity in the local legal community, as well
as to give back to the Asian community in
Mecklenburg and the surrounding areas. The
MAP-Bar endeavors to meet these goals and
assist in developing Mecklenburg (and the
surrounding counties) into an attractive
community for APA lawyers and residents.
To learn more about the MAP-Bar or to
request membership, please contact Mica L.
Nguyen at mnguyen@cshlaw.com or visit us at
www.map-bar.com.
The Bar Leadership Institute Committee
By Aretha V. Blake, Chair
This year has been a successful one for the
joint MCB/MBF Bar Leadership Institute
Committee. After a brief hiatus, the Bar
Leadership Institute (BLI) introduced a
reformatted program structure with an
increased focus on individual leadership
development and leadership opportunities
within the MCB and MBF. In addition, to
ensure that the BLI was accessible to all
members of the Bar, the program registration
fee was reduced by over 40%.
The BLI Class of 2011 is comprised of 20
dynamic and diverse participants who practice
in large, mid-sized and small firms, represent
government and municipal agencies, provide
public service through legal service
organizations, and practice in a corporate law
department. Over the past three months, the
BLI Class evaluated their personal leadership
styles, strengths and areas of development. In
addition, the BLI Class participated in a series
of sessions featuring leaders in the legal and
civic community, including Judge Rickye
McKoy-Mitchell, John Lassiter, Mark Merritt,
Jane McIntyre (United Way), Dr. Tom Hanchett
(Levine Museum), DeWitt F. McCarley, Robert
C. Dortch, Jr. and Debra Campbell (City of
Charlotte). In addition, for the first time, the
BLI curriculum included a session addressing
diversity, inclusion and equity, which was presented
by Octavia Seawell and Edna Norwood,
facilitators of the Community Building
Initiative’s Leadership Development Initiative.
The impact of the BLI is tremendous. The
program has graduated more than 160
members of the MCB, most of whom have
gone on to become involved in the many
committees and sections of the MCB and
many of whom have held leadership positions
within the MCB and MBF. The BLI Class of
2011 will, no doubt, be just as active and
involved as past program participants and
have already committed to plan and
implement a project during fiscal year 2012 to
increase the MCB’s involvement with
Mecklenburg’s Spanish-speaking community.
In the weeks to come, please join the BLI
Committee and the leadership of the MCB
and MBF in congratulating the newest
graduates of the BLI!
Michael Anderson, Johnston,
Allison & Hord, P.A.
Tania Archer, Moore & Van Allen, PLLC
John Bowers, Horack Talley Pharr
& Lowndes PA
Jon Carroll, James, McElroy & Diehl, P.A.
Joshua Davey, McGuireWoods LLP
Sarah DiFranco, Poyner Spruill, LLP
William Esser, Parker Poe Adams
& Bernstein LLP
Faith Fickling, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Inc.
Rebecca Lindahl, Katten Muchin
Rosenman LLP
Hannah Little, Garfinkel Immigration
Law Firm
Brandon Lofton, Robinson, Bradshaw
& Hinson, P.A.
Michael Navarro, The Law Office of Michael
E. Navarro, PLLC
Gretchen Nelli, City of Charlotte
Andrew Nesbitt, Nesbitt Law PLLC
Kristen Northrup, Mecklenburg County
District Attorney's Office
Lindsay Peed, Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak
& Stewart, P.C.
Vaughn Reynolds, Hunton & Williams LLP
Sarah Stone, Womble Carlyle Sandridge
& Rice PLLC
Katherine Tenfelde, Robinson Elliott & Smith
Janice Tucker, Wells Fargo
www.MeckBar.org July 2011
13

Your BFF (Still) Wants You!
The Mecklenburg Bar Foundation is pleased to announce that the 2011 Bar Foundation Fund has already raised
more than $135,000 in pledges and donations on our way to $300,000! Is your name on this “Who’s Who” list of
Foundation supporters? If it is, we thank you! If it’s not, we want you!
The donors listed below are those firms and individuals that have already stepped up as of June 14 to support the Foundation and the BFF
through gifts to the McMillan Fellowship Program, Law & Society, the Bar Leadership Institute, the Bar History Project and unrestricted giving. The
giving guide below indicates the various initiatives that our donors have contributed to thus far. A special thanks to those that have already pledged
support for the 2011 campaign!
To support your BFF and see your name among those of your friends and colleagues, please make your pledge today at www.MeckBar.org. If you
have any questions or need any additional information, please contact Development Committee Co-Chairs Jon Adams (jadams@lawhssm.com) and
David Whelpley (DWhelpley@mcguirewoods.com) or Director of Foundation Development Leah Reed Campbell (lcampbell@meckbar.org). The
Foundation needs your help to help others.
Be A Foundation Friend! Support Your BFF!
2011 BFF Giving Guide
Bronze (Up to $2,499)
Anonymous m
D
Multiyear Pledge to Bar History Project
Bank of America Legal Department M
s
Law & Society Donor
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft M
m
Unrestricted Gift Donor
Carolina Legal Staffing LLC s
Compass Group USA, Inc. s
M
McMillan Donor
Duke Energy Legal Department M
n
BLI Donor
Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak &
Stewart, P.C. s
Firm/Business Sponsors
Tin Fulton Walker & Owen, PLLC M
Winston & Strawn LLP s
Diamond ($10,000 & Up)
Wishart Norris Henninger & Pittman, PA s
Hunton & Williams DMs
McGuireWoods LLP DMs
Individual Sponsors
Moore & Van Allen PLLC DMs
Patron ($2,500 & Up)
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice,
Nancy & Peter Covington m
PLLC DMs
Hon. Robert P. Johnston Mm
Platinum ($7,500 - $9,999)
Benefactor ($1,000 - $2,499)
Alston & Bird LLP D
Hon. Paige McThenia & T. Jonathan
James, McElroy & Diehl, P.A. Ds
Adams Mm
K & L Gates Ds
Dianne Chipps Bailey Mm
Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP D Mark R. Bernstein Mm
Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A. Ds Francis J. Blanchfield Jr. m
Gold ($5,000 - $7,499)
A. Todd Brown Sr. nm
Charlotte School of Law Msn
Mark T. Calloway m
Johnston, Allison & Hord, P.A .Dsn
Hal Clarke m
King & Spalding LLP DMs
Tricia Morvan Derr nm
Poyner & Spruill, LLP Ds
Robert C. Dortch, Jr. Mnm
Robert E. Harrington Mm
Silver ($2,500 - $4,999)
Gary S. Hemric m
Hamilton Moon Stephens Steele &
Katherine S. Holliday Mnm
Martin, PLLC Ds
H. Bryan Ives III
Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo,
m
L.L.P. D
Douglas M. Jarrell m
Horack Talley PA D
Amy K. Johnson Mm
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, Patrick E. Kelly m
LLP D
Haynes P. Lea m
Nexsen Pruet, PLLC D
DeWitt F. McCarley Mnm
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP D Richard M. McDermott m
Wells Fargo Legal Department Ms Randel E. Phillips Mm
Claire J. Rauscher nm
Nancy M. Roberson m
In Honor of A. Todd Brown &
DeWitt F. McCarley and
in Memory of Robert C. Dortch
Russell M. Robinson II m
Raleigh A. Shoemaker m
Robert C. Stephens m
John Nicholas Suhr Jr. m
Richard M. Thigpen m
David B. Whelpley Jr. m
Supporter ($300 - $999)
John S. Arrowood Mm
R. A. Bigger Jr. m
Jonathan E. Buchan Jr. m
Daniel G. Clodfelter M
Marion A. Cowell Jr. M
Heather & Chris Culp m
Joshua D. Davey m
Hon. Albert Diaz nm
Hon. Karen Eady-Williams m
Anthony A. Fox m
Camille Davidson & Trevor Fuller m
Henry A. Harkey m
Margaret Campbell & William Haynes M
Edward T. Hinson Jr. m
Robert C. Hord Jr. m
Carl Horn III m
Cyrus M. Johnson m
Hannah H. Kim m
Nicole Bourget & Mark Kutny nm
John S. Leary Bar Association M
Holly & Hal Levinson M
Sara & Erik Lincoln nm
Brandon M. Lofton m
Timothy Patrick Logan m
Patti & Steve Mayo m
14 July 2011 www.MeckBar.org

2011 BFF Giving Guide
D
Multiyear Pledge to Bar History Project
s
Law & Society Donor
m
Unrestricted Gift Donor
M
McMillan Donor
n
BLI Donor
Pender R. McElroy nm
Mecklenburg County Bar m
In Memory of A. Marshall Basinger II,
Gary D. Chamblee, George L. Fitzgerald,
Joseph W. Grier Jr., Jeff Todd Harris, Hon.
Resa L. Harris, Randall W. Lee, Solomon
Levine, Ernest W. Machen Jr., Darrell Lane
Matthews, Donald M. Seltzer, William
Watts Sturges, & William Van Allen
Daniel A. Merlin Mm
Alice K. Moore m
Angela Parrott m
S. Mujeeb Shah-Khan m
Claire & Edward Shapack nm
Mary Kaczmarek & William Soukup m
Richard E. Thigpen Jr. m
Sally & William Van Allen M
Clarence W. Walker m
John R. Wester Mnm
Contributor (Up to $299)
Allain C. Andry m
Carla N. Archie m
E. Osborne Ayscue Jr. M
Martha G. Barber m
Hon. Lisa C. Bell n
Hon. Kimberly Best-Staton M
Christy-Anne Betler n
Sandra & Robert Bisanar m
Louis A. Bledsoe Jr. m
Karla L. Boyd n
Martin L. Brackett Jr. M
Teresa & Irving Brenner M
Herbert H. Browne Jr. m
Hon. Hugh B. Campbell Jr. M
Leah & Thomas Campbell m
Cristy & Don Carroll M
Caitlin Carson n
Hon. Ronald L. Chapman Mn
Christian P. Cherry n
Shirley Linn & Dumont Clarke M
John H. Cobb n
Harold W. Cogdell Jr. n
Edward G. Connette Mn
Leslie K. Cooley n
Anne L. Crotty Mm
John R. Cunningham III M
Hon. Donald R. Cureton Jr. n
Michel C. Daisley M
George Daly M
Pamela & William Dannelly M
J. P. Davis m
William K. Diehl Jr. M
Miriam Ann Dixon m
Catherine El-Khouri M
Kevin D. Elliott n
Frank E. Emory Jr. n
Kenneth F. Essex m
Hon. Yvonne Mims Evans M
Ray S. Farris Mn
Ellen Holliday & Ted Fillette M
Mark P. Foster Jr. n
Holly McMillan Gambill M
M. Heath Gilbert Jr. m
Anne & Peter Gilchrist M
Rakesh Gopalan
Melissa L. Gray n
John W. Gresham M
Toni Kaneklides Grove m
In Memory of Judge Brent McKnight
David B. Hamilton n
Hon. Tyyawdi M. Hands n
George V. Hanna III n
Edward F. Hennessey IV M
Brian Heslin n
Jenny & William Holman m
T. J. Hooper m
N. Renee Hughes m
Thomas M. Hull M
Jason B. James n
Lina E. James n
Meredith S. Jeffries m
Heather N. Johnson m
Tanisha P. Johnson m
Christine & Hon. William Jones M
Irene P. King n
James W. Kiser m
Anthony T. Lathrop Mn
Tamara & Louis Lesesne M
Hon. Hugh B. Lewis Mmn
In Memory of June Nuccio
Becky & Erik Lindahl M
Brett A. Loftis M
Maria G. B. Long Mn
Marsha Janelle Lyons M
Lawana M. McAllister n
Valecia M. McDowell M
A. Ward McKeithen M
Hon. Rickye McKoy-Mitchell Mn
William H. McMullen Jr. nm
Heloise C. Merrill M
Mark W. Merritt n
Hon. Regan A. Miller Mn
Michael E. Navarro n
John C. Nipp m
Hon. Nancy Black Norelli nÆ
Dennis M. O’Dea M
Thomas L. Ogburn m
Sally Higgins & Ray Owens M
E. Fitzgerald Parnell III m
Ross H. Parr m
Sue K. Paty M
Daniel E. Peterson m
Christin Jarvis Reische m
In Honor of Luther T. Moore
Vaughn K. Reynolds m
Allen K. Robertson M
Hope A. Root n
David S. Rudolf M
Mary Jordan & Robert Samuel m
Jane & Ken Schorr M
Jeffrey J. Schwartz n
Benjamin F. Sidbury m
Pamela K. Silverman m
Robert C. Sink M
Jackson N. Steele m
Daniel L. Tedrick m
Bradley J. Thomas n
William E. Underwood Jr. M
Jerry H. Walters Jr. m
Kristi K. Walters M
Leslie J. Winner M
A. Victor Wray m
The BFF Honor Roll
The BFF Honor Roll recognizes those
firms and organizations that have 100%
attorney participation in donating to
the Bar Foundation Fund.
Do you want your firm to receive
special recognition on the
BFF Honor Roll?
Contact Development Committee
Co-Chairs David Whelpley
(DWhelpley@mcguirewoods.com) and
Jon Adams (jadams@lawhssm.com) or
Director of Foundation Development
Leah Reed Campbell at
lcampbell@meckbar.org or
704/375-8624 for more information.
www.MeckBar.org July 2011 15