All Things Judicial

Today is "Meck Dec Day," a day that commemorates the signing of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence on May 20, 1775. A date that is enshrined on the North Carolina state flag.
In this episode, we listen to a 2023 recording of Chief Justice Paul Newby explaining the significance of Meck Dec Day to an audience of law clerks and staff gathered in the Supreme Court of North Carolina’s law library.
In his remarks, Newby shares the context in which the Mecklenburg Declaration was signed, and the controversy over its authenticity.

In this episode, we feature an excerpt of an interview with the late Margaret Adams Harris (1916–2014) who worked as a prominent Guilford County attorney. Throughout her career, Harris was dedicated to public service. Most notably, she served on the Duke University board of trustees and worked to implement Title IX of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and served as chair of the Greensboro City Board of Education during desegregation. In the interview, Harris shares about attending college and law school immediately following the Great Depression, having former Chief Justice Susie Sharp as a contemporary, and balancing life as a mother and attorney.
"You're making a big commitment when you determine to be a lawyer and it becomes a major part of your life, but shouldn't be all of your life," said Harris on the podcast. "You still have your family and your community to which you still have a responsibility. I think you need to face this fact and make sacrifices where necessary."
This interview was conducted by former Executive Director of the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism Mel Wright for the Commission's Historical Video Series. A full version of the interview can be found on the NCcourts Youtube channel.

On this episode, we welcome Rufus Edmisten who served as the deputy chief counsel for the Senate Watergate Committee (1973-74). The Committee's final report, released on June 27, 1974, was partly responsible for the resignation of President Richard Nixon on August 9, 1974. On the podcast, Edmisten reflects on the high-profile nature of his work on the Committee, his relationship with Committee Chairman U.S. Senator Sam Ervin, and recounts the history-defining moment in which he personally delivered the subpoena to the White House for Nixon's secret Oval Office tapes.
"I knew it was going to be a big day, and when I got (to the White House) I read the subpoena title but then did a little impish thing too," said Edmisten on the podcast. "I had a little U.S. Constitution in my back pocket that Senator Ervin used to carry around, and something about my Boone upbringing said, 'whip that baby out on them.' So I pulled it out of my right back pocket and said, 'I heard you need one of these down here too.'"
Rufus L. Edmisten was born and raised in Boone, North Carolina, and earned an undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Juris Doctor from the George Washington University Law Center in Washington, DC. He served as North Carolina Secretary of State, North Carolina Attorney General, and was the Democratic nominee for Governor in 1984. He is currently a lawyer in private practice.
The interview was conducted by North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts Communications Director Graham Wilson.

The latest episode of All Things Judicial features excerpts of an interview with attorney G. Stevenson Crihfield from Guilford County. Crihfield practiced law for over 50 years in Guilford County and helped bring attention to mental health issues amongst attorneys. In the interview, he discussed his early life and career and shares a personal story about an attorney’s suicide that led him to focus on the issue of mental health in the legal profession.

"We did a scientific survey of the bar and what we learned was that there were an awful lot of lawyers that were not doing well in a variety of ways," said Crihfield on the podcast. "11 percent of the bar reported that they had thoughts of suicide in the last 30 days."

This interview was conducted in 2015 by Special Superior Court Judge Andrew R. Hassell for the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism. A video of this interview can be found on the NCcourts YouTube channel.

In this episode, Campbell School of Law Dean Rich Leonard shares stories from his early life, career, and time spent assisting several African nations improve their systems of justice. Leonard wrote about these stories in his recent book entitled "From Welcome to Windhoek: A Judge's Journey." The interview was conducted by Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism Executive Director Mel Wright whose insightful questions prompted Leonard to expound on lessons-learned, both personally and professionally.
"I think the message I'm trying to convey is not any greatness in me for goodness sakes," said Leonard on the podcast. "It's just that you persevere, you work as hard as you can, you treat people kindly, you treat people fairly, you outwork everyone, and it often works out."
Dean Rich Leonard has been described as a pioneering judge, a groundbreaking court administrator, a restorer of historic courthouses, and at age 29 the youngest U.S. District Court Clerk in the country. He worked as a special consultant to the U.S. Department of State, where for 20 years he helped developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa create workable court systems. His recent book describes him as a marathon runner, mountain climber, forger of cross-continental friendships, and someone who embraced life in all its majesty and messiness.