By Allison Standard Constance Candace Friel finds her passion for pro bono work in projects where she gets to work with clients one-on-one, especially at home in the Triad. Friel is a partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, working as a healthcare and commercial litigator, and she is a member of the NCBA’s Health Law Section. Since beginning her…
On February 24, 2023, five Charlotte-area middle schools gathered at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse for a Middle School Mock Trial Competition. The NC Bar Foundation and the NCBF Civic Education and Community Engagement Committee play an integral role in facilitating these competitions by providing case materials and rules documents, helping coach teams or identify coaches, and participating as presiding judges…
By Kaitlyn Fudge “Our courts are designed to protect the stability of our law, and pro bono attorneys can play a role in that important tradition. Our courts work better when all parties have a say in the outcome, even those without sufficient means to participate. Protecting an individual’s position safeguards the law at the same time, and as an…
By Sylvia Novinsky Equal access to justice should exist for every individual, regardless of economic status. However, the 2021 Civil Legal Needs Assessment published by the North Carolina Equal Access to Justice Commission and Equal Justice Alliance, in partnership with UNC Greensboro’s Center for Housing and Community Studies, revealed that 86% of North Carolinians are not able to get legal…
The North Carolina Bar Foundation’s (“NCBF”) chief objective is to unite the talent and generosity of the legal profession to be a power of greater good for North Carolinians. Much of the NCBF’s success depends on the commitment of donors and volunteers whose leadership inspires pro bono and public service programs that further the values of access to justice, service,…
By Ashley Skaff In 2016, when the Greensboro Legal Aid office lost the funding necessary to provide representation for members of the community navigating Domestic Violence, or “DV”, court, Tom Robins, an attorney at Bunch & Robins and member of the Family Law Section of the NC Bar Association, stepped up. In discussing his decision to begin this project, Tom…
The North Carolina Bar Foundation and NCBA Young Lawyers Division invite you to join us this #GivingTuesday, November 29th, and make a gift to unite the talent and generosity of the legal profession to be a power of greater good for the people of North Carolina. Your gift, no matter the size, helps to support NCBF pro bono and civic…
My name is Stephanie Crosby. I am a paralegal and a proud supporter of the North Carolina Bar Foundation. My first experience with the NCBF was serving on the committee to create the 4ALL Statewide Service Day and I’ve been on the committee ever since. I’m proud to be serving as the co-chair of the 4ALL Statewide Service Day Committee…
The five pillars of the NCBF Values Statement are imperceptibly woven into the fabric of NCBF pro bono and civic education programs. But it is these values of access to justice, service, education, professionalism, and diversity, equity and inclusion that bind the programs of the NCBF with the highest ideals of the North Carolina Bar Association. Samantha Gordon of Shane…
The North Carolina Bar Foundation values diversity, equity and inclusion. The NCBF Task Force on Recognition and Grant Recommendations was formed following the completion of the Report on Relationships Between the NCBA and Systemic Racism in 2020. Its charge included making recommendations “regarding appropriate grant and program initiatives to encourage greater equity, diversity and inclusion in the practice of law…