VOTE411 Voter Guide

I was a civil rights attorney for thirty years before elected to the Court in 2018. I tried numerous civil and criminal cases in state and federal courts, including bench trials and jury trials, and had extensive appellate experience. I am the only candidate in this race with judicial experience and the only one with experience arguing cases in front of the Supreme Court as an attorney. Throughout my work, I have worked to uphold the Constitution and make sure the justice system treats everyone fairly — regardless of how much money or power you have. My commitment is to a fair, impartial and independent court that will hold the legislature and the executive accountable to the State Constitution.

My political affiliation plays no role in my decision-making process as a judge on the court. I operate independently in every decision I make on the bench. My legal opinions, whether for the majority or in dissent, are based on the Constitution and state law, without regard to the political identities of the litigants in the case. When I served on the North Carolina State Board of Elections (2009–2011), I demonstrated my strict commitment to the rule of law by voting to fine former Democratic Governor Mike Easley’s campaign when they unfortunately violated our state’s campaign finance laws. As a justice, my job is to hold the legislative and executive branches accountable to the State Constitution, without fear or favor.

One of the greatest obstacles to justice in our state is the fact that so many people facing challenging circumstances such as mortgage foreclosure, hurricane recovery or domestic violence, cannot afford to pay an attorney to get the legal advice and representation they need in order to protect their rights. There is a massive, urgent gap between the legal needs of North Carolinians and the resources available to serve them. My opponent made this gap worse by working to divert more than $12 million from legal aid programs this year. The Code of Judicial Conduct is clear that justices have an administrative duty to improve the justice system. I will continue to work to address this obstacle with the Equal Access to Justice Commission.

I began my career as an associate and then partner at the Ferguson Stein law firm in Charlotte, practicing civil rights, criminal defense, and employment law with legends Julius Chambers and James Ferguson. I later served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Following my federal service, I directed the Voting Rights Project for the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, served as Director of Advocacy at the UNC Center for Civil Rights, and in 2007 founded and directed the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. Since joining the Court I have worked to ensure that the rights in our state constitution are fully protected. In recent years that has meant that I have written dissenting opinions when our Court has failed to protect the rights of children to a sound basic education and the rights of all voters to have their vote count and count equally.

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