Support the Allyson K. Duncan Justice Fund

The Allyson K. Duncan Justice Fund for Civic Education and the Rule of Law will perpetuate Judge Duncan’s legacy of public service and commitment to judicial independence and integrity.

The Fund, established and maintained within the North Carolina Bar Foundation Endowment, will support endowment grants for educational initiatives designed to foster a deeper public understanding of the Constitution, the rule of law, and judicial independence and security.

Representative projects that could benefit from this fund include: the role and function of the judicial branch: an historical perspective; separation of powers and the rule of law; and comity: the relationship between the federal and state judiciary.

Allyson Kay Duncan graduated first in her class at Hampton University in 1972 and received her J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 1975. She became the first African American woman to serve as a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals, the first African American president of the North Carolina Bar Association and North Carolina Bar Foundation, and the first African American woman to sit on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. In 1978, Judge Duncan joined the staff of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Between 1978 and 1986, she had served in a variety of roles at the commission: appellate attorney, assistant to the deputy general counsel, assistant to the chairman, acting associate legal counsel, and acting legal counsel.

Judge Duncan served as an associate professor at North Carolina Central University School of Law from 1986 to 1990, teaching property law, appellate advocacy, and employment discrimination. In 1990, she served on the North Carolina Court of Appeals as an Associate Judge. Thereafter, Judge Duncan was appointed a Commissioner of the North Carolina Utilities Commission in 1991. In 1998, Judge Duncan served as a partner at Kilpatrick Stockton, where she worked until her appointment to the federal bench.

Judge Duncan is a past president of the Federal Judges Association (FJA), the organization representing Article III United States judges. Chief Justice John Roberts appointed her to chair the International Judicial Relations Committee, which coordinates and responds to requests for judicial assistance in other countries. She is a member of the American Law Institute (ALI). Judge Duncan also serves as the president of the North American/Asian Group of the International Association of Judges.

Judge Duncan remains active in her profession – speaking around the world on such issues as Rule of Law, Counter Terrorism, and Human Rights on behalf of the United States government.

How to Donate:

• Pledge: We welcome pledges for larger gifts, which can be paid over up to five years.  Please use the “Make a Pledge” button above.
• Credit Card: Please use the “Make a Gift” button at the top of this page.
• Checks: Payable to: North Carolina Bar Foundation (memo: Allyson K. Duncan Justice Fund). Please mail checks to: NCBF, 8000 Weston Parkway, Cary, NC 27513.
• Gift from IRA or QCD from retirement account: (memo: Allyson K. Duncan Justice Fund).
• Electronic Funds Transfer: (memo: Allyson K. Duncan Justice Fund).
• Gift of Stock: visit ncbarfoundation.org/stocks (memo: Allyson K. Duncan Justice Fund).
• For assistance or more information, please contact Michael Lowery ([email protected] or 919.677.0992).