8:55 Welcome and Introductions
9:00 A View From the Bench*
Chief Judge Donna S. Stroud, North Carolina Court of Appeals, Raleigh
Judge R. Allen Baddour, North Carolina Superior Court, Pittsboro
Judge Ashleigh P. Dunston, North Carolina District Court, Raleigh
Hear how professionalism has changed and how attorneys have changed what professionalism means from the eyes of the bench at all different levels of North Carolina. Featuring a panel of judges from the trial and appellate courts of North Carolina, this session discusses what works and what doesn't work.
10:00 Break
10:10 Pandemic Professionalism*
Bo Thompson, Yates McLamb & Weyher LLP, Raleigh
Melvin F. "Mel" Wright Jr., Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism, Raleigh
In a time of Zoom calls, remote hearings, empty offices and working from home, how has the pandemic impacted our professionalism? This session offers a thoughtful discussion on how lawyers can maintain their pre-pandemic professionalism aspirations and tackles how to become an even stronger professional in our "new normal."
11:10 Break
11:20 Attorney Conduct and Discipline*
Leanor B. Hodge, North Carolina State Bar, Raleigh
How has attorney conduct changed over the last two years and where are grievances now coming from? This session provides information about what the State Bar is seeing in the disciplinary process and what has changed, including the most common, current pitfalls for attorneys.
12:20 Lunch Break
12:50 Modifying Mediation*≠
Tara L. Kozlowski, North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission, Raleigh
With the increase and ease of remote mediations, what is changing and working as opposed to what is falling short? Does remote mediation work as well substantively, even if procedurally it is difficult? Does that affect the professionalism of mediation for attorneys and as a whole?
1:50 Break
2:00 Being Normal in the New Normal†
Cathy Killian, North Carolina Lawyer Assistance Program, Charlotte
Let's talk about mental health and wellness in a post-pandemic world. In this session, hear discussion on issues of substance abuse and mental health and the struggles of living in a world with less personal connection and contact on a regular basis.
3:00 Break
3:10 Staying Normal in the New Normal†
Julianne Ludlam, Ph.D., KKJ Forensic and Psychological Services, Durham
Let's keep the conversation going about mental health and wellness in a post-pandemic world. Dr. Julianne Ludlam discusses issues of preventative care and well-being to help avoid crisis and declining health.
4:10 Adjourn
* Indicates portion providing Ethics/Professional Responsibility credit
† Indicates portion providing Substance Abuse/Mental Health credit
≠ Indicates portion providing NC Dispute Resolution Commission CME
Thank you for joining us for Professionalism in the "New Normal".
It's a new world and we're just living in it — or at least that's how it seems. However, it doesn't need to be that way and attorneys can still bring a sense of professionalism and the ways of the (not so distant) past into this "new normal."
Judge R. Allen Baddour Jr. has been Superior Court Judge for the 15B Judicial District of the State of North Carolina since 2006 and Senior Resident Superior Court Judge since 2020 in Pittsboro. He was an Assistant District Attorney in Chatham County from 2001-2006, and practiced law with Baddour & Milner PLLC from 1997-2001.
Judge Baddour has served on the Board of Governors of the North Carolina Bar Association and on the Bench-Bar, Criminal Justice, and Membership Committees of the NCBA. He was president of the 15B Bar Association (2005-06). He is the Chair of the Pattern Jury Instruction Committee and serves on the Education Committee of the Conference of North Carolina Superior Court Judges.
Judge Baddour teaches at New Judges School, New Senior Residents School, and at conferences.
Judge Baddour earned his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.
Judge Ashleigh D. Parker is a District Court Judge in the 10th Judicial District, which encompasses Wake County. Prior to her appointment by Governor Roy Cooper in 2017, she served the citizens of North Carolina as an Assistant Attorney General at the North Carolina Department of Justice and as an Assistant District Attorney at the Wake County District Attorney's Office.
Judge Parker is passionate about increasing equity within the criminal justice system and educating our youth. She has written for multiple publications, including the North Carolina State Bar Journal, on topics related to racism, sexism, and natural hair within the legal profession. Additionally, she has held numerous leadership positions in her profession and is currently Vice Chair of the NC State Bar CLE Committee and Immediate Past-President of the 10th Judicial District Bar and Wake County Bar Association where she is the first African American female to be President of both bars and the youngest ever. She previously served as President of the NCCU Law Alumni Association.
Judge Parker serves as the lead Child Support Judge in Wake County and one of two Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency Judges. Most recently, she is also the Co-Founder of the Wake County Legal Support Center which opened on January 9, 2023. This Center provides free legal information for individuals who wish to represent themselves with domestic and housing issues.
Judge Parker earned her B.A. in Psychology from Wake Forest University and her J.D., cum laude, from North Carolina Central University School of Law.
B. Keith Faulkner is the President of Charleston Southern University in Charleston, SC. He was appointed the fourth President of the university on July 26, 2023.
Before being selected president of CSU, Keith had 20 years of higher education experience; he served as president and dean of Appalachian School of Law in Virginia. Prior to this, he served as the dean of Liberty University School of Law and the Lundy-Fetterman School of Business at Campbell University. He also served as interim dean at Campbell University's Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. Over his career, he and his teams have launched online programs, developed innovative partnerships with industry, enjoyed success in fundraising, and many other notable accomplishments.
Keith earned his B.S., with honors, from Charleston Southern University, his J.D. and M.B.A. from Campbell University and his LL.M. from Baylor University School of Law. He also completed the United States Navy Nuclear Power Training Pipeline. His service included a tour aboard the U.S.S. Billfish (SSN 676), and he was an instructor at Nuclear Power Training Unit (MTS 635).
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Leanor Bailey Hodge is a Deputy Counsel with the North Carolina State Bar in Raleigh. She counsels the NCSB's Grievance Committee and prosecuting lawyers for ethics violations before the Disciplinary Hearing Commission.
Prior to joining the NCSB in 2008, Leanor was a litigation partner at the law firm of Manning Fulton & Skinner PA in Raleigh, and a prosecutor in Philadelphia and Chicago. Leanor frequently lectures for the Mecklenburg County Bar on ethical and professional topics.
Leanor received her B.B.A. from Howard University and her J.D. from Temple University.
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Cathy D. Killian is the Clinical Director and Western Clinical Coordinator for the North Carolina Lawyer Assistance Program and has been a counselor in the Charlotte area for over 30 years. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist, Certified Clinical Supervisor, and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. Cathy has worked in a variety of mental health and substance abuse areas, including inpatient, outpatient, hospital-based and free-standing treatment facilities, Employee Assistance Programs, and private practice. She has conducted numerous trainings and workshops both locally and nationally on a variety of topics throughout her career. She was a college instructor for 17 years, and a Program Chair for five of those years. She currently maintains a small private practice seeing individual clients and providing clinical supervision on both an individual and facility level.
Cathy has worked in a variety of mental health and substance abuse areas, including inpatient, outpatient, hospital-based and free-standing treatment facilities, Employee Assistance Programs, and private practice. She has conducted numerous trainings and workshops both locally and nationally on a variety of topics throughout her career. She was a college instructor for 17 years, and a Program Chair for five of those years. She currently maintains a small private practice seeing individual clients and providing clinical supervision on both an individual and facility level.
Cathy is a former board member for Anuvia Prevention and Recovery Center, the McLeod Institute on Substance Abuse, the North Carolina Board of Licensed Employee Assistance Professionals, and former president and board member of the Eating Disorders Education Project.
Cathy earned her B.S. in Zoology/Pre-Med from North Carolina State University, B.A. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and her Master of Education degree in Counseling from Winthrop University.
Tara L. Kozlowski is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission. She has been with the Commission since July of 2018. Prior to working with the DRC Tara was a family law litigator and mediator, practicing with a small firm in Wake County. Tara obtained a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Indiana University, and her J.D. degree from The University of Toledo College of Law in 2006. She lives in Apex with her husband, two daughters, and two yellow labs. Please feel free to contact her at the DRC office anytime with questions or to introduce yourself.
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Julianne Ludlam, PhD is a Clinical Psychologist at KKJ Forensic and Psychological Services in Durham. She conducts psychological evaluations for adults, youth, and families.
Psychological evaluations can help with many kinds of personal, legal, or emotional issues. Evaluations require careful assessment, respectful investigation, and a clear report for decision-making. Julianne also believe evaluations should appreciate individual differences as well as sources of oppression and trauma; my assessments are all trauma-informed. She believe quality assessments can be both informative and therapeutic.
Julianne has a Master's degree in Early Childhood Risk and Prevention from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from Alliant International University in Clinical Psychology. Her research and clinical interests have centered around the topic of trauma and trauma-related disorders.
Prior to teaching in the undergraduate psychology program at the University of Missouri, Julianne trained at the California Pacific Medical Center's outpatient mental health clinic, the San Francisco County Jail's psychiatric services unit, and a community mental health center in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood.
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Chief Judge Donna S. Stroud has served on the North Carolina Court of Appeals for over thirteen years, having been first elected in 2006. She is a dual graduate of Campbell University, with a B.A., summa cum laude, in Government, and J.D., magna cum laude. She was ranked first in her class each year of law school and upon graduation; she served as the Notes & Comments Editor of the Campbell Law Review. She earned her LL.M. in Judicial Studies from Duke University School of Law.
Chief Judge Stroud spent 16 years in private practice, first as an associate and later as a partner, until her election in 2004 as a District Court Judge in Wake County. While in private practice, she was also both a certified Superior Court mediator and a District Court arbitrator.
Chief Judge Stroud served as a Family Court Judge while on the District Court. After joining the Court of Appeals in 2007, she began teaching as an Adjunct Professor at Campbell University School of Law in 2008, teaching Judicial Process and Juvenile Law.
Chief Judge Stroud frequently presents CLE programs for the North Carolina Bar Association and other organizations. She currently serves as chair of the Chief Justice's Rules Advisory Commission and is a member of the North Carolina Courts Commission and Family Court Advisory Committee.
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Bo Thompson is a partner with Yates McLamb & Weyher LLP in Raleigh. Bo has a diverse civil litigation experience representing businesses and individuals in claims including professional liability, mass torts, intentional torts, and administrative/professional licensing issues.
Bo is a member of the North Carolina, Wake County and American Bar Associations, North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys and the Defense Research Institute.
Bo received his B.A. degree in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1999 and his J.D. degree from Campbell University School of Law in 2004.
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Richard A. Waugaman III is a member of Lesnik Family Law PC in Raleigh. Richard works primarily with domestic contracts, including breach of contract, drafting separation and settlement agreements, financial issues including property distribution, alimony, child support and absolute divorce. He also has considerable experience working with cases involving domestic violence.
Richard graduated from Campbell University School of Law and is a licensed attorney in North Carolina. Richard also is a summa cum laude graduate of Campbell University with a degree in criminal justice.
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Melvin F. "Mel" Wright Jr. is the Executive Director of the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism in Raleigh. Mel was a private practice attorney for 26 years until he became the Executive Director of the North Carolina Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism in November 1999. He served in that capacity until his retirement in August 2017 and has resumed this role in March 2019.
As a newly formed Commission, Mel had the challenging task of establishing the office from only a Supreme Court Order. He has worked tirelessly for the cause of professionalism, both as Executive Director of the Commission and as a private practice attorney. In addition to his many years in private practice, he has served as President of the Forsyth County Bar Association and the 21st Judicial District, Chairman of the Ethics and Grievances Committee of the Forsyth County Bar Association, officer of Executive Committee of the Forsyth County Bar Association and the Forsyth County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Chairman of the National Consortium on Professionalism Initiatives, Chairman of the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Professionalism, member of the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Bar Association’s BarCARES, member of the National Legal Mentoring Consortium, member of the North Carolina Bar Association and the Wake County Bar Association Professionalism committees; member of the North Carolina Bar Association Transitioning Lawyer Commission, and member of the Advisory Committee for the National High School Mock Trial Championship, and member of the Wake County, North Carolina and American Bar Associations, the American Bar Association Center for Professional Responsibility, and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice. Mel has been awarded the Bronze Star and Air Medal for his service in Vietnam; the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the Wake County Bar Association Professionalism Award, the Chief Justice's Professionalism Award, the Robinson O. Everett Professionalism Award from the Campbell University School of Law, the John B. McMillan Award for Public Service, and the CJCP Award for Meritorious and Extraordinary Service. He has also received the Martindale Hubbell AV Rating.
Lastly, Mel has served as an adjunct professor at both the University of North Carolina School of Law and the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University, teaching Professional Responsibility.
Mel received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina and his J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law.
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