Outstanding Judge of the Year Award

Judge Linda M. McGee Judge McGee has served on the North Carolina Court of Appeals since her appointment by Governor Hunt in 1995 and subsequent election in 1996. She is a charter member of NCAWA. Under her leadership, the Judicial Division was created and a special series of programs featuring presentations by our women judges at the State’s law schools has been launched.

Judge A. Elizabeth Keever Judge Keever has served as Chief District Court Judge for the 12th Judicial District since 1994. She was the fi rst woman elected to the bench in Cumberland County (1982) and the second woman to serve as president of the N.C. District Court Judges’ Association (1995-96). She chaired the Associations Education Committee, 1987-93 and 1999-present, and has served on the Judicial Standards Commission since 1991.

Justice Sarah Parker Justice Sarah Parker served on the North Carolina Court of Appeals from 1985-1992 and has served as Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court since her election in November 1993 and her re-election to a full 8-year term in November 1996. Justice Parker has been an active participant in Mecklenburg County and North Carolina Bar Association activities for many years and currently serves on NCBA’s Commission on the Status of Women in the Legal Profession and the Local Bar Services Committee. Her continued involvement in local and state activities has resulted in many achievements and honors through the years including the NCAWA Gwyneth B. Davis Public Service Award, the Distinguished Woman of North Carolina Award, the National Federation of Women’s Clubs Woman of Achievement Award, and honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Queens College.

Judge Joyce (Joy) Hamilton Judge Joyce (Joy) Hamilton began her career as an Assistant District Attorney in Wake County and progressed through the positions of Executive Director, N.C. Academy of Trials Lawyers; Staff Attorney, N.C. Court of Appeals; Partner, Hafer, Hall, Schiller, Mobley & Hamilton; before becoming District Court Judge in Wake County in September 1986. She became Chief District Court Judge in December 2000.

Judge Jane V. Harper

 

Judge Jane V. Harper has been a Charlotte, NC resident since 1970. A 1980 honors graduate of UNC School of Law, her legal experience and professional associations include work as a lawyer for Legal Aid from 1980-84; private practice from 1984-1990 as a family law specialist; and working as a district court judge in the 26th judicial district since 1990. She has been assigned to family court since 1992 where she presides over domestic, juvenile, and domestic violence matters. Judge Harper has also chaired several 26th District committees overseeing family court matters and the 26th District Domestic Violence Committee. She was among the fi rst judges assigned to hold Domestic Violence specialty courts in 1995 (and the only one of those judges still assigned to these courts). She is a past chair of the NC District Court Judges’ Bench Book Committee. She received the Charlotte, NC “International Women’s Day Woman of the Year” award in 1986 and the Charlotte Women’s Political Caucus “Woman of Political Courage” award in 1992. She is a longtime member of NCAWA and is now the Association’s fi rst “triple crown” winner - she is the fi rst person to receive the Gwyneth B. Davis Award (1987), to serve as NCAWA president (1992), and to earn the distinction of Judge of the Year. Judge Harper is one of our fi nest examples of an NCAWA member who works tirelessly to support our goals and mission.

Judge Allyson K. Duncan

 

Judge Allyson K. Duncan has served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit since August 2006.  Judge Duncan’s career has been marked by a number of “firsts.” She is the first African American or woman from North Carolina to serve on the Fourth Circuit, and the first African American woman from any state to do so. She was the first African American woman to serve on the NC Appellate Courts. And on June 21, 2003, she was sworn in as the 109th President of the NC Bar Association, making her the first African American and only the third woman to hold this position. Prior to joining the Fourth Circuit, Judge Duncan was a partner in the Raleigh offi ces of Kilpatrick Stockton, LLP, where she concentrated her practice in the areas of government relations and utility matters, primarily involving energy. Before joining the fi rm, she was a member of the NC Utilities Commission from 1991-1997, during which time she held leadership positions in the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, served as a member of the Harvard Electricity Policy Group and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and spoke and testifi ed before Congress on energy issues. Judge Duncan served on the NC Court of Appeals from 1990-1991, and prior to that was an Assistant Professor of Law at NC Central University, teaching property, employment discrimination, labor law and appellate advocacy. She spoke and wrote on employment discrimination issues, and co-authored a textbook on North Carolina appellate advocacy. Judge Duncan worked for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Washington, D.C. from 1978-1986, first as an appellant attorney, later as Executive Assistant to Chairman Clarence Thomas and ultimately served as the agency’s Acting Legal Counsel. Judge Duncan is active in numerous professional and community organizations, and has received as a result a number of awards and honors. She graduated from Hampton University in 1972, and Duke University School of Law in 1975.

Judge Shelly Holt

 

Judge Shelly Holt has been a District Court Judge since 1992 during which time she has been active in the NC Association of District Court Judges serving on the education committee, the Board of Directors, and as President in 1998-99. She was the District Court representative on the N. C. Judicial Council for two terms, presents at trainings for judges and attorneys, has participated in training new volunteer guardians ad litem and magistrates and was President of the New Hanover County Bar Association in 1996-97. She participated in the establishment of Family Court, has served as a Family Court Judge since 2000 and currently serves on the Juvenile Justice Planning Committee of the Governor’s Crime Commission and the State Advisory Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. She began her legal career in 1981, following her graduation from T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond. She served as an Assistant District Attorney for 10 1/2 years with responsibility for the prosecution of child abuse cases. Judge Holt was born and raised in Akron, Ohio and graduated from Kent State University in 1978. She is married and has two children and is involved in numerous community activities including PTA President, President of the local YWCA Board of Directors and a Sunday School teacher. While working with the YWCA, she helped implement “Take Your Daughters to Work” Day and planned, organized and presented at a Teen Leadership Camp in the summers for middle school girls. She also organized the sponsorship of a Teen Leader scholarship by the local women attorneys through the YWCA Women of Achievement dinner and the New Hanover County women attorneys have presented a $1,500 college scholarship to a high school senior girl each year for the past 11 years.

No awards presented.