• University of Virginia School of Law, Master of Laws, 1995;
• Marquette University Law School,Juris Doctorate, 1979;
• UNC-Chapel Hill, BA, Journalism, 1975;
• Robersonville High School, 1972;
• Naval Justice School, Newport, RI, UCMJ Art. 27(b) Certification, 1979;
• UCMJ Arts 42(a) and (b) Military Judge Certification, 2000.

• Associate Justice, North Carolina Supreme Court, 1998;
• Judge, North Carolina Court of Appeals, 1990-1998 and 1999-present;
• Fitch, Butterfield & Wynn, Attorneys at Law, Wilson and Greenville, NC, 1984-90;
• North Carolina Assistant Appellate Defender, 1983-84;
• U.S. Navy JAG Corps, Naval Legal Service Office, Norfolk Naval Base, 1979-83.
• Certified Military Trial Judge, U.S. Navy Reserves, 2000-present

American Bar Association

• Chair, Judicial Division (2007-2008)
• Chair, Appellate Judge’s Conference (2003-2004)
• Chair, Judge’s Advisory Committee on Ethics, (2009-present)
• Co-Chair, ABA Diversity Summit, 2009
• Chair, Appellate Judges Conference Ethics Committee, (2009-present)
• Joint Commission to Evaluate Model Code of Judicial Conduct (2003-2007)
• Member, World Justice Commission (2007-present)
• ABA House of Delegates, (2004-present)
• Standing Committee on Judicial Independence (2001-2005)
• Standing Committee on Minorities in the Judiciary (2000-present)
• Chair, Working Group on1st Amendment and Judicial Speech (2002-03)
• Standing Committee on State Judicial Selection Standards (2001-03)

National Conference of Uniform State Laws

• Vice-President (2009-present)
• Executive Committee (2002-2005)
• Scope and Program Committee (2005-2008)
• Division Chair for the Conference (2007-2009)
• Drafting Committee on Revised Uniform Arbitration Act
• Drafting Committee on Uniform Tort Apportionment Act
• Drafting Committee on Protection of Genetic Information Act

American Law Institute

Justice at Stake Campaign, Washington, D.C.

• Vice Chair, Board of Directors (2005-present)

North Carolina Bar Association

• Past Vice-President
• Bench Bar Liaison Committee
• Chair, Program Committee for Brown v. Bd. of Education 50th Anniversary

North Carolina State Bar

• Trustee, North Carolina Interest on Lawyer Trust Account (IOLTA) Committee (2003-2006)

North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers

• Judicial Council

Pitt Community College, Greenville, North Carolina

• Former, Trustee

Wisconsin State Bar

• 2008 - National Bar Association Raymond Pace Achievement Award.
• 2004 – Marquette University “All University Alumni Merit Award”.
• 2002 – Marquette University School Of Law “Hallows Fellow and Visiting Scholar”;
• 1996 – General Baptist Convention Martin Luthur King Achievement Award;
• 1995 – Warren Burger Scholarship for John Marshall Harlan Symposium on Comparative Law in England and Scotland;
• 1995 - NC Advocates for Justice Appellate Judge of the Year;

United States Navy, Judge Advocate General Corps, RETIRED

• Active duty: 1979-83;
• Active Reserve: 1983- 2009;
• Certified Military Judge, Articles 42(a) and (b)

Former reserve leadershipassignments:

• Commanding Officer, Navy Reserve Judicial Unit
• Staff Judge Advocate, Naval Reserve Readiness Command Six, Washington, DC;
• Commanding Officer, Civil Law Support Activity, Atlanta, GA;
• Commanding Officer, NR LSO, Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida;
• Executive Officer, NR CINLANTFLT 206, Norfolk, VA;
• Executive Officer, NR Legal Service Office, Norfolk, Virginia.

Decorations:

• Meritorious Service Medal (Three Awards);
• Navy Commendation Medal (Two Awards);
• Naval Reserve Medal;
• National Defense Service Medal;
• Global War on Terrorism Medal.

“Judging the Judges,” Marquette University Law Review, 86 Marq.L.Rev. 753, Spring 2003

"Selection of State Judges”, Federalist Society Symposium, 22 U.Tol.L.Rev. 287, Winter 2002

“Judicial Diversity: Where Independence and Accountability Meet”, 67 Alb. L. Rev 775, 2004

“Ground to Stand on: Charles Hamilton Houston’s Legal Foundation for Dr. King", 9 N.C. Bar. J. (2004).

"State v. Mann, Judicial Choice vs. Judicial Duty", - N.C.L. Rev - (Spring 2008)