James G. Exum, Jr., Distinguished Jurist in Residence and founding member of Elon's Law School Advisory Board, was appointed Nov. 21 by the North Carolina State Bar as one of the state's first-ever Appellate Practice Specialists.
Exum is one of 15 attorneys in the state to receive the designation by the North Carolina State Bar’s Board of Legal Specialization. The website for North Carolina Legal Specialization, a program of the North Carolina State Bar, describes the history and purpose of the specialization initiative as follows:
“The Board of Legal Specialization was created in 1983 by the North Carolina State Bar and began certifying North Carolina lawyers as legal specialists in 1987. The Board was established to create a method by which qualified North Carolina lawyers might become certified as specialists in designated areas of the law. The goals of the legal certification program are twofold.
“First, the program assists in the delivery of legal services to the public by identifying to the public those lawyers who have demonstrated special knowledge, skill, and proficiency in a specific field. By identifying these lawyers, members of the public can more closely match their needs with available services.
“Second, the legal specialization program seeks to improve the competency of members of the bar by establishing an additional incentive for lawyers to participate in continuing legal education and to meet other requirements of specialization.”
Exum served on the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1975-’94, and was Chief Justice from 1986-’94. He currently leads the appellate practice group at Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP, supervising and assisting lawyers with appeals in state and federal courts. During his service with the Supreme Court, Exum wrote 402 opinions for the court and 208 concurring or dissenting opinions. As a lawyer, he has helped brief and argued more than 40 appeals in state and federal appellate courts. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.
Click here for North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization’s announcement of 2011 certified specialists.
Click here for more information about Exum.