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   Courts / Appellate Division / Supreme Court / Biography  Print  Court Picture
 
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Associate Justice Patricia Timmons-GoodsonPatricia Timmons-Goodson
Associate Justice

Date of Birth: September 18, 1954
Place of Birth: Florence, South Carolina
 

A member of the Supreme Court of North Carolina since February 2006, Justice Patricia Timmons-Goodson is the first African-American woman to sit and the third woman elected to serve on North Carolina’s highest court. With 25 years of service in the judiciary, Justice Timmons-Goodson is one of North Carolina’s longest serving active judges. Born in Florence, South Carolina, on September 18, 1954 to Beulah and Edward Timmons (E-7 US Army), she was raised on military bases in the United States and in Europe.


Legal and Judicial Experience

  • Associate Justice, Supreme Court of North Carolina, since February 2006
  • Judge, North Carolina Court of Appeals, 1997-2005
  • District Court Judge, Twelfth Judicial District of North Carolina, 1984-97
  • Staff Attorney, Lumbee River Legal Services, Inc., Fayetteville, North Carolina, 1983-84
  • Assistant District Attorney, Twelfth Prosecutorial District, 1981-83
  • District Manager, 1980 United States Census, 1979-80

Professional and Community Activities (Past and Present)

  • American Bar Association
    • Co-Editor, The Judges’ Journal
    • Editorial Board, Perspectives
    • Commission on Women in the Profession
    • Executive Committee, Appellate Judges Conference
    • Secretary, Appellate Judges Conference
    • Judicial Clerkship Program
  • Vice-President, North Carolina Bar Association
  • Co-Host and Co-Producer, "Dimensions of Justice" Television Program
  • Vice-President, Links, Incorporated, Fayetteville Chapter
  • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority

Boards And Commissions (Past and Present)

  • North Carolina Judicial College, Advisory Committee
  • UNC-Chapel Hill Morehead-Cain Scholarship, Central Selection Committee
  • UNC-Chapel Hill General Alumni Association, Board Member
  • UNC Chapel Hill Board of Visitors, Board Member

Honors And Awards

  • Order of the Long Leaf Pine (Highest Civilian Award in North Carolina)
  • Awards from the University of North Carolina
    • Order of the Valkyries (Highest Women’s Honorary Recognizing Scholarship and Leadership)
    • Order of the Old Well
    • Distinguished Young Alumna Award, General Alumni Association
    • Harvey Beech Award
    • William Richardson Davie Award (Prestigious Trustee Award Recognizing Extraordinary Service)
  • North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys, Gwyneth B. Davis Award (Promoting the Participation of Women in the Legal Profession)
  • Johnson C. Smith University, Doctor of Humane Letters
  • Saint Augustine’s College, Doctor of Civil Law
  • North Carolina Association of Educators, Inclusive Leadership Award
  • YWCA, Academy of Women
  • General Federation of Women's Clubs, Woman of Achievement Award
  • North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus, Leadership Award
  • Save Our Schools (SOS), Cumberland County Outstanding Volunteer of the Year, Governor's Award
  • Minority Business and Professional League, Legal/Justice Award
  • Fayetteville Chapter of NAACP, Service Award

Educational Background

  • University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Law, J.D., 1979
  • University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, B.A., Speech, 1976

Personal Information

Married with two sons.

 
  
 
   
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