Voices of NCAJ

In this NCAJ Legends interview, recorded during the NCAJ Convention 2022 as part of its 60th anniversary celebration, host Isaac Thorp interviews Wade Byrd, attorney and founder of the Law Offices of Wade E. Byrd, P.A. Wade joined NCAJ, or what the older generation still affectionately calls The Academy, after realizing he needed to put more effort into the professional side of his life. As an act...

Valerie Johnson can pinpoint the day that her life changed forever. When she was in junior high, the library was her second home. That is, until the day the librarian called her a racial slur. As she was leaving the library, Valerie saw a crowd of people outside the courthouse across the street. She followed them inside, where she watched a Black man stand trial for stealing a can of beans. The in...

A lot has changed since Margaret “Peggy” Abrams first joined the North Carolina Advocates for Justice over four decades ago — especially when it comes to being a woman trial lawyer. “When I was a young female lawyer in this organization, and just practicing in general, there were so many fewer,” says Peggy. “And it was important to me to be seen not as a woman lawyer, but just as a lawyer.” ...

In this NCAJ Legends interview, recorded during NCAJ Convention 2022 as part of its 60th anniversary celebration, host Helen Baddour interviews her father, Philip A. Baddour, Jr. Phil joined NCAJ around 1970 and has attended 31 NCAJ conventions over his career. “NCAJ meant, to me, professional development,” said Phil. “First and foremost, the reason I became a member was to learn our craft. It's j...

Following a record-breakingly expensive primary season, North Carolina can expect big political races this fall. With much of the focus falling on the state Supreme Court and congressional races, political advisors have their work cut out for them possibly now more than ever.  In this episode of Voices of NCAJ, host Amber Nimocks welcomes Morgan Jackson, co-founder of Nexus Strategies, and Pa...

By the time she was one year old, Helen Baddour was already immersed in the world of law, attending the annual NCAJ Convention with her father, Phil Baddour, a former NCAJ president and longtime member. In this episode of Voices of NCAJ, host Amber Nimocks welcomes Helen, a personal injury lawyer at Johnson & Groninger PLLC, and the immediate past chair of the Women’s Caucus. They discuss this...

NCAJ Executive Director Kim Crouch says there are three words that capture the spirit of women in law today: confidence, competence and resilience.  In this episode, recorded during the Fourth Annual NCAJ Women's Caucus Retreat, host Amber Nimocks leads a powerful discussion about the past, present, and hopeful future for women attorneys. Her guests, Judge Linda McGee and Kim Crouch, have bot...

In the first season of Voices of NCAJ , join host Amber Nimocks as she spotlights the people who make NCAJ great. Starting with NCAJ President and Principal Attorney of the Law Offices of John McCabe, P.A., John McCabe. Becoming a lawyer was something John has wanted since he was just eight years old. However, his journey to where he is today didn’t start as a slam dunk. His initial introduction t...

Since the beginning, members of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice have been raising their voices. Speaking out on behalf of those who go unheard, joining their voices to oppose injustice and support fair treatment for everyone under the law. With this podcast, Voices of NCAJ, we’ll listen to those members – lawyers and legal professionals – who founded the organization, whose dedication and...