Election Notice
From: Thomas E. Powers, President, 26th Judicial District Bar
Re: State Bar Council Election
Date: September 10, 2024
All active members of the 26th Judicial District Bar, as reflected on the official records of the North Carolina State Bar, are requested to take notice of the 2024 State Bar Council election.
The North Carolina State Bar is the administrative agency responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in North Carolina. Protection of the public and protection of our system of justice are the objectives of regulation. The State Bar is governed by a 61-member council, whose members are lawyers elected by lawyers in their home judicial districts. At the State Bar Council’s July 2022 meeting, the Council approved a reallocation of councilors based upon a formula rooted in the number of active members of each judicial district bar in North Carolina. The reallocation gave the 26th Judicial District Bar (the 26th) one additional councilor. As such, the 26th now has eight of the 61 seats on the Council.
The 2024 election is being held to fill six of the eight seats* on the Council effective January 1, 2025. Please carefully consider these positions. These councilors are elected to three-year terms and play an important role in representing the 26th at the state level. Those six seats are as follows:
- Allen Seat**: The Allen Seat is the seat currently held by David Neal Allen, who is serving a third consecutive term ending December 31, 2024, and is thus ineligible for re-election at this time.
- Bowers Seat**: The Bowers Seat is the seat currently held by Robert (Bobby) C. Bowers, who is serving a third consecutive term ending December 31, 2024, and is thus ineligible for re-election at this time.
- Rawls Seat**: The Rawls Seat is the seat currently held by Eben T. Rawls, who is serving a third consecutive term ending December 31, 2024, and is thus ineligible for re-election at this time.
- Laughrun Seat: The Laughrun Seat is the seat currently held by George V. Laughrun II, who is serving his first three-year term, which ends on December 31, 2024, and is thus eligible for reelection.
- Morris Seat: The Morris Seat is the seat currently held by Gena Morris, who is serving her second three-year term, which ends on December 31, 2024, and is thus eligible for reelection.
- Shafeek-Horton Seat: The Shafeek-Horton Seat is the seat currently held by Timika Shafeek-Horton, who is serving her first three-year term, which ends on December 31, 2024, and is thus eligible for reelection.
*Fred W. DeVore, III and Craig T. Lynch are currently serving their first three-year terms, which do not expire until December 30, 2025.
**The Allen, Bowers, and Rawls Seats do not have incumbents who are eligible for re-election in 2024 because each of those incumbents are currently serving their third consecutive terms.
Nominations. Any member of the 26th wishing to either serve in this capacity or nominate a candidate must submit a nomination to SBCNominations@meckbar.org by Thursday, October 24 at 5:00 p.m. The nomination must include the specific seat, listed in bold above, for which the individual is nominated. Any nominations received after the deadline will not be on the official ballot. Write-in candidates are permitted.
Voting. The election for these seats will be held electronically. Ballots and instructions will be e-mailed to each active member of the 26th on Thursday, October 31 at 9:00 a.m. All votes must be submitted by Thursday, November 14 at 5:00 p.m. If you do not receive the ballot and instructions by e-mail, please visit www.MeckBar.org/StateBarCouncil at any time during the voting period. (If you do not have Internet access, please call 704-375-8624 so the staff of the 26th can help arrange for you to vote during the voting period.)
Under the Rules of the State Bar, the election of a councilor must be by majority of the ballots cast. In the event a run-off is required for one or more seats, all members of the 26th will be notified via e-mail, and the run-off election(s) will be held electronically beginning Monday, November 25 through Friday, November 29.
Statutory References: N.C. Gen. Stat. §84-17 and §84-18 and 27 N.C.A.C. 1A, Sections .0802, .0805, and .1005.
* * * * * * * *
About
The North Carolina State Bar is the administrative agency responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in North Carolina. Protection of the public and protection of our system of justice are the objectives of regulation. The State Bar is governed by a 61-member council whose members are lawyers elected by lawyers in their home judicial districts. At the State Bar Council’s July 2022 meeting, the Council approved a reallocation of councilors based upon a formula rooted in the number of active members of each judicial district bar in North Carolina. The reallocation gives the MCB one additional councilor. As such, the MCB now has eight of the 61 seats on the Council.
26th Judicial District Bar Councilors
David Neal Allen
|
Robert C. (Bobby) Bowers
|
Fred W. DeVore, III
|
George V. Laughrun, II
|
Craig T. Lynch
|
Gena Morris
|
Eben T. Rawls
|
Timika Shafeek-Horton
|
Councilors may serve up to three consecutive three-year terms; thereafter, councilors are eligible again after a three-year period of non-service.