Voices of NCAJ

Ian Mance has worked for almost 20 years on criminal and racial justice policy and litigation in North Carolina. His long-term projects include developing strategies for leveraging a database of law enforcement traffic stops in the state. Ian will offer a hands-on presentation about the database and its application in the courts at NCAJ’s upcoming Criminal Defense CLE.  Twenty-five years ago,...

Artemis Malekpour, a partner at Malekpour & Ball who specializes in strategic jury selection and solutions to case problems, previews the session she will lead at NCAJ’s November 7 CLE. The program will focus on evidence and pretrial motions, and attendees will participate in an interactive exercise on voir dire.  In addition to laying out her CLE, Artemis joins host Amber Nimocks to shar...

Emily Beeson didn’t know that she would pursue a legal career when she got her first position as a bilingual case manager, and then as a paralegal. But after she was in that role for a while, she realized “this is a great opportunity for growth.” Law school followed. Now with a decade of experience, she is the lead workers’ compensation lawyer for Ward Black Law . She’s also a 2023 graduate of the...

Artificial intelligence is transforming how lawyers research the facts and laws pertaining to their cases, negotiate settlements with insurance companies, and strategize the best way to present a case, so those who don’t keep up with the technology will be left behind, best-selling author Brian Carter says in this conversation with NCAJ host Amber Nimocks . Carter is one of several AI experts who...

For North Carolina PI lawyers, the auto insurance landscape will change dramatically on July 1, 2025. Christopher Nichols , NCAJ’s Governmental Affairs Consultant, lays out the new rules of the road with host Amber Nimocks. Relying on his deep understanding of recent changes to the law, including  Senate Bill 319 , which was passed this summer, Chris describes how the law will affect personal...

As a successful trial attorney, Raleigh native and solo practitioner Lex-Jordan Ibegbu credits the NCAJ NEXT Leadership program with helping him build a community of colleagues and mentors. With Voices of NCAJ host Amber Nimocks, Lex-Jordan “drops some gems” of inspiration for the next class of NEXT fellows. Collaborating with NCAJ, his goal is to positively affect the citizens of North Carolina “...

“The swingiest of swing, and the purplest of purple.” That’s North Carolina as we gear up for the hotly contested 2024 election season. In this episode of Voices of NCAJ , host Amber Nimocks welcomes seasoned political consultants Morgan Jackson and Paul Shumaker to the show to discuss North Carolina's political landscape ahead of the 2024 elections.  Tune in as they discuss how media consump...

Like it or not, law firms are businesses. Lawyers who own their own firms are business people as well as lawyers, but how can lawyers effectively handle the business side of their practice? In this episode of Voices of NCAJ , host Amber Nimocks speaks with experienced plaintiffs’ attorney Dan Bryson of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, LLC , one of the largest and most successful plaintiff...

Sean Cole is just one of many all-stars on the bill at NCAJ’s May 3 Proving Causation In Auto Trials CLE. The importance of opening statements cannot be overstated. In fact, cases can be won or lost during opening statements. A great opening statement must be well prepared but still allow the attorney to adapt to new information. In this episode of Voices of NCAJ , host Amber Nimocks speaks with v...

“When someone lies to me . . . there's a reason they're lying. And for me, I think it's part of my ethical responsibility as a lawyer to expose someone.” In this episode of Voices of NCAJ , host Amber Nimocks interviews Alex Charns , a criminal defense attorney in Durham who has written a book about the FBI's secret tapes on the Supreme Court of the 1960s and his decades-long battles to access the...

“We're all working professionals that have busy lives, but sometimes we really crave that connection that comes from being in person. There's really no one-size-fits-all model for CLE, but I think we have the ability to offer people a lot of different options.” In this episode of Voices of NCAJ , host Amber Nimocks speaks with guest Anna Kalarites , NCAJ Education Vice President and partner at Pis...

“There’s no shame in being broke.” Sam McGee, a self-proclaimed broke lawyer, knows the feeling and wants to give other lawyers the tools to avoid ethics violations when money gets tight. In this episode of Voices of NCAJ , host Amber Nimocks previews the upcoming “Ethics Hot Issues'' CLE program with Sam McGee , Legal Affairs Counsel at NCAJ , Of Counsel with the Wilder Pantazis Law Group , and C...

The practice of personal injury law is evolving rapidly. The sit-down, in-person meeting with a client to sign documents is no longer the default. Instead, when you get that call, you need to act fast and be able to meet the client wherever you need to, whether it is over text message, email, Zoom, or even at their house.  In this episode of Voices of NCAJ , host Amber Nimocks and seasoned pe...

“I love doing that kind of work. I think it really can make a big difference, one, in the lives of people, and then two, in holding wrongdoers accountable.” In this episode of Voices of NCAJ , host Amber Nimocks speaks with Carma Henson , one of the four panelists for NCAJ’s Medical Malpractice “Back to the Basics” CLE. Carma is a partner at Henson Fuerst , where her practice focuses on nursing ho...

In this episode of Voices of NCAJ , host Amber Nimocks welcomes three guests, NCAJ Executive Director Shannon Leskin , NCAJ Lobbyist Philip Isley and NCAJ Government Affairs Consultant Chris Nichols , to discuss how they helped NCAJ achieve some key legislative goals during the 2023 Long Session of the North Carolina General Assembly.  NCAJ is dedicated to supporting and furthering the rights...

The pandemic really took a toll on the criminal defense practice. Not being in the courtroom as often, not being in contact with other attorneys, not sharing information and skills – the learning gap has grown for both newer criminal defense attorneys as well as experienced practitioners. It’s time to fix that by attending the “Criminal Defense: Back to Basics and Beyond” CLE on Dec. 8 at NCAJ hea...

Any lawyer trying cases in front of a jury today needs to attend the NCAJ Caps on Damages 2023 CLE on Nov. 3 at NCAJ headquarters in Raleigh. Register at ncaj.com/events . In addition to focusing on the caps, it’s about how to practice in the post-COVID era and how to present damages to a jury.  In this episode of Voices of NCAJ , host Amber Nimocks speaks with Kristen Beightol, a founding pa...

The skills and knowledge paralegals will bring back after attending the NCAJ Fall Conference for Paralegals 2023 are well worth the day away from the office.  In this episode, Amber Nimocks interviews Megan Jankowski, a paralegal at Henson Fuerst, about the upcoming Fall Conference for Paralegals 2023 which takes place on October 13, 2023 at the NCAJ headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina. T...

“While things have moved slowly in the past, I strongly believe that since the court entered this leadership order…we're going to see things happen and move much, much quicker.” Mona Lisa Wallace, co-lead counsel for the Camp Lejeune Justice Act litigation team, joins Voices of NCAJ host Amber Nimocks to offer updates on the litigation and a preview of NCAJ’s upcoming CLE. A hundred thousand claim...

Michael Bertics - longtime NCAJ member, partner at Lennon, Camak and Bertics, PLLC, and board certified specialist in worker’s compensation law - joins podcast host Amber Nimocks for a discussion of the upcoming “ Quirky Issues in Workers’ Comp ” CLE.  Michael’s presentation this year, “Declawing the Labor Market Survey: Declawing Cats Is Inhumane. Declawing Vocational Experts is Good Lawyeri...

“I think you can fight very hard and still get along.” In this NCAJ Legends interview, recorded during the NCAJ Convention 2022 as part of our 60th anniversary celebration, host Anna Kalarites speaks with Don Beskind about his illustrious career as a trial lawyer, educator, and mediator in North Carolina. Don is a professor at Duke University School of Law and Shareholder at Donald H. Beskind, P.A...

“Don't let anybody kid you. In the practice of law, luck has a lot to do with it.” In this NCAJ Legends interview, recorded during the NCAJ Convention 2022 as part of our 60th anniversary celebration, host Philip Miller engages David Kirby in a candid discussion. David is a Founding Partner at Edwards Kirby, LLP who is consistently recognized as one of the most outstanding and accomplished trial l...

It takes a certain type of attorney to be able to critique judges’ rulings. But to be able to do it at a yearly convention where lawyers and those judges are present, and do it well enough that judges are practically disappointed when they aren’t included…that’s next level. In this NCAJ Legends interview, recorded during the NCAJ Convention 2022 as part of our 60th anniversary celebration, host An...

In this NCAJ Legends interview, recorded during the NCAJ Convention 2022 as part of its 60th anniversary celebration, host John McCabe interviews Doug Abrams, NCAJ Past President and a partner in the firm of Abrams & Abrams, P.A. in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Doug highlights NCAJ's commitment to protecting the ‘ordinary people’ and implementing a fair system. We learn of Doug’s competitive...

In this NCAJ Legends interview, recorded during the NCAJ Convention 2022 as part of its 60th anniversary celebration, host Vernon Sumwalt interviews Janet Ward Black, NCAJ Past President of NCAJ and Principal Owner of Ward Black Law. Janet Ward shares her journey to becoming a lawyer, explains how she overcame the challenges of being a female trial lawyer, and encourages others to pursue their goa...