Newsletter – Page 4 – Greensboro Bar Association

Young Lawyers Section: Connections

November 28, 2025/in December 2025, Newsletter

Jonathan Parisi is President of the Greensboro Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section and Attorney at Spangler Estate Planning

As we move into the holiday season, the Young Lawyers Section is filled with gratitude for the opportunities we’ve had to connect with our colleagues and serve our community throughout the year. November has been a quieter month for us, but we’re looking forward to gathering with everyone at the GBA Holiday Party on December 9, 2025.

The event is always a great chance to unwind, celebrate our collective accomplishments, and enjoy fellowship with members across all sections of our Bar.

Holiday Donation Drive: Supporting The Family Room Triad

This season, the YLS is proud to host a donation drive benefiting The Family Room Triad, a local organization providing essential resources to children and families involved in temporary and permanent foster care.

We’ll be collecting donations before and at the Holiday Party. The items most in need are:

Diapers (sizes 4–5)
Teen and adult underwear (undergarments)
Teen sports bras

As a thank-you, each donor will receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win a prize during the Holiday Party! Your generosity helps ensure that local families and youth in foster care have the support they need this holiday season.

Upcoming Collaboration: Mentorship & Networking Event

In the spirit of connection and professional growth, the YLS is partnering with the Mentorship and Membership Committees to host an upcoming networking and mentorship event.

This joint effort will bring together attorneys of all ages and practice levels to foster meaningful mentorship relationships and build bridges across our legal community. Stay tuned for more details and event registration information in the coming weeks!

Alexis M. Holloway

YLS Member Spotlight: Alexis M. Holloway, of Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete

Alexis is an Employment Litigation Associate at Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete LLP, where her work involves employment litigation defense and prevention. Additionally, she often conducts workplace investigations, drafts and reviews employment related agreements, and responds to EEOC Charges.

What’s a fun or surprising fact about you?

A fun fact is that while in law school, I took a Prisoners’ Rights Course with an accompanying study-abroad trip to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa.

Who has been a mentor or influence in your legal career?

A huge mentor and influence in my legal career has been Nicole Patino, who is also a member of GBA and former YLS President. I went to Elon Law where we have a residency program during our 2L year, and I was placed with Nicole at her boutique Labor and Employment law firm. Ever since my residency, she has helped me grow in my career and provided endless support.

Connect with YLS

The Young Lawyers Section would like to celebrate the personal milestones and professional accomplishments of its members. Email YLS at younglawyerssection@greensborobar.org to share achievements that you would like celebrated on our social media platform and in the GBA’s member newsletter!

We’re excited to close out the year with service, fellowship, and celebration. On behalf of the Young Lawyers Section, I wish all of our members a joyful, restful, and fulfilling holiday season.

Wellness Corner

November 28, 2025/in December 2025, Newsletter

BarCARES is a confidential, short-term intervention program provided cost-free to members of the 24^th Judicial District Bar and other participating judicial district bars, voluntary bar associations and law schools. If you would like additional information about the program and/or its availability in your area, please contact the BarCARES coordinator at 919.929.1227 or 1.800.640.0735 or click on the icon below.

New Members Approved on November 12, 2025

November 28, 2025/in December 2025, Newsletter

Joshua Lee Bowers
Greensboro City Attorney’s Office
Category: Public Service
Endorser: Rosetta Davis

John Graham Monroe
Guilford Public Defender’s Office
Category: Public Service
Endorser: Alex Snow

Kiera Payton Connolly
Triad Legal Group, Inc.
Category: Newly Licensed
Endorser: Sharon E. Dunmore

Elijah James Stephens
Guilford Co. DA’s Office
Category: Newly Licensed
Endorser: Sarah H. Roane

Darley J. Solomon, III
Fox Rothschild, LLP
Category: Newly Licensed
Endorser: Cordon M. Smart

Bryan Hernandez
Chapman & Roberts, P.A.
Category: Newly Licensed
Endorser: Adam K. Roberts

Noah McDuff
Fox Rothschild, LLP
Category: Newly Licensed
Endorser: Evan Kent Auberry

Calendar Notes

November 28, 2025/in December 2025, Newsletter

December 9 – GBA Board Meeting, 4:00 PM, Zoom

December 9 – Holiday Party, 5:30 PM, Yvonne J. Johnson Event Center at Barber Park

December 17 – YLS Board Meeting, 12:00 PM, Self-Help Building

January 6 – GBA Board Meeting, 4:00 PM, Self-Help Building

January 15 – GBA Member Dinner, 5:30 PM, Starmount Forest Country Club

January 21 – YLS Board Meeting, 12:00 PM, Self-Help Building

Message from the President, December 2025

November 28, 2025/in December 2025, Newsletter

Hon. Bill Davis,
President of the Greensboro Bar Association

“And in despair I bowed my head;

‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said;

‘For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!’

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men.’”

Christmas Bells, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1863

The desire and prayer for peace seems eternal. Running just alongside it is the history of conflict and war, seeming equally eternal. We live in a time that is marked by all manners of discord and division. Although our nation is not as divided nor our crisis as acute as in Longfellow’s time, we cannot turn our heads from events of global and political violence.

We have seen figures on all sides of the political spectrum targeted for their beliefs and their speech. Some prominent figures turn a deaf ear to rhetoric that kindles such violence, or give in to the temptation to speak too harshly or too quickly without considering the impact of their words. We even hear whispered speculation on whether our country is becoming so divided that we may face a new civil war – not of North and South, but of left and right.

Longfellow wrote his poem themed on the bells of Christmas, and focused on good will to men. These days, we would say good will to all. And the sentiment is not limited to those who celebrate Christmas. Whatever your religion, or if you have none, the end-of-year holiday period offers a chance to reexamine and recommit ourselves to our best selves and highest goals. Hopefully, we have a small break from the office or the courtroom. We connect with family and loved ones. We share a meal, we bring a gift, we offer a prayer, we open our hearts.

Lawyers often encounter conflict through the nature of our work. However, we also learn that we can engage these conflicts under rules of professionalism and decorum. We can disagree, even strongly, without personal attacks on opposing counsel and certainly without resorting to violence. In the event we sometimes lose patience or our temper (haven’t we all at some points?), we can correct ourselves and do better for the future. Saying that we are sorry doesn’t mean that we are weak, or that we won’t continue to work hard for our clients.

So, in the spirit of the season, I hope you will join us for GBA’s Holiday Party on December 9. Have a bite to eat, and a couple of drinks. Enjoy the fellowship of our colleagues. Maybe shake the hand of the opposing counsel that made you mad recently. And reflect on all the things that we can do to make a difference in the world. Remember the ways that in the midst of disagreements, we can work toward a greater goal: Peace on earth, good will to all.

Hon. Bill Davis
President, Greensboro Bar Association
and the 24th Judicial District Bar

October Mix-n-Mingle Highlights

October 31, 2025/in Newsletter, November 2025

Camino Law Honored as “Up and Coming” Firm

October 31, 2025/in Newsletter, November 2025

North Carolina Lawyers Weekly has named Camino Law to its 2025 Up and Coming Law Firms list. This recognition highlights firms across the state that are making an impact through innovation, client service, and community involvement.

Founded by GBA member Abigail C. Seymour, Camino Law focuses on family law, guardianships, and estate administration, with a mission of guiding families through transition with compassion and clarity. The team is honored to be recognized for their work in Greensboro and beyond.

Click to learn more.

Jason F. Hicks to Receive Inns of Court Award

October 31, 2025/in Newsletter, November 2025

Jason F. Hicks

Jason F. Hicks to Receive Inns of Court Award

Jason F. Hicks, a deputy county attorney for Guilford County, has been appointed to serve as the Chair of the Program Review Committee for the American Inns of Court. The Committee reviews programs submitted from Inns across the country and selects winners for the annual program awards. This is his fourth year on the committee.

Greensboro Bar Association Foundation is Accepting Nominations for Fellows Program

October 31, 2025/in Newsletter, November 2025

The purpose of the Greensboro Bar Association (“GBA”) Fellows program is two-fold. First, to recognize members who have distinguished themselves in the profession by electing them to membership as “Fellows.” Secondly, to allow the Greensboro Bar Association Foundation to continue to operate and support various law-related charities, as well as to support other purposes for which the Foundation was established.

The membership will be limited to a maximum of ten percent (10%) of the GBA membership (currently 800 members). Each fellow will pledge to contribute $2,000 in either a one-time gift or over a five (5) year period.

The class of fellows will be announced at the GBA membership meeting in April 2026.

To nominate a fellow use the online nomination form by December 31, 2025.

Nominations can be submitted online here.

The Fellow Committee consists of: Jason Hicks, Fellow Committee Chair, Manisha Patel, and Davis McDonald

View the list of GBA Foundation Fellows roster HERE.

Guilford Inn of Court Celebrates 30th Anniversary

October 31, 2025/in Newsletter, November 2025

Steve Crihfield, Judge-Robby Hassell

The Guilford Inn of Court recently celebrated its 30th Anniversary. To celebrate the milestone the Inn hosted a panel of founding members, Steve Crihfield, Larry Moore, and Trey Aycock. There was discussion about the Inns of Court in England, the Inns of Court movement in the United States, how the Guilford Inn got started, and the changes they have seen over the years.

At the conclusion of the program, the Inn President, Jon Wall, and member, Judge Robbie Hassell, presented founding President Steve Crihfield with a plaque honoring his accomplishments, service to the Inn, and his vision in creating the Guilford Inn.

The purpose of the American Inns of Court is to encourage professional growth, mentoring, and reconnecting with the profession.

For information on the American Inns of Court you can visit https://www.innsofcourt.org/ and for information about the Guilford Inn of Court reach out to President, Jon Wall; Vice-President, Jason Hicks; or Secretary/Treasurer, Sarah Roane.

Become a NC Legal Aid Fundraiser Sponsor

October 31, 2025/in Frontpage Article, Newsletter, November 2025

Sign Up Online Here

GBA Members Invited to Corporate Connect

October 31, 2025/in Newsletter, November 2025

Please join the GBA Business & Corporate Law Section for a FALL SOCIAL

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

5:00 to 7:00 PM

Joymongers Brewing Company
576 N. Eugene Street, Greensboro

RSVP to Ben Edwards

GBA Holiday Gathering: Registration Open!

October 31, 2025/in Newsletter, November 2025

Register Here

Reservations are required and must be made by
Friday, December 5th at 5:00 PM.

Free 1-Hour VIRTUAL Ethics CLE Lunch & Learn

October 31, 2025/in Newsletter, November 2025

Professional Responsibility and Technology Competence in a New World

This session explores the impact of evolving technology on ethics obligations in legal practice.

Competency, confidentiality, duties to supervise, duties to potential/current/former clients, and other rules of professional conduct help frame how law firms choose and implement technology in their law practice. We also look at ethics opinions that help law firms consider hypotheticals on different technology may enhance or hinder a firm’s ethical responsibilities, including the proposed opinion on the use of AI in practice.

Finally, we explore security best practices and real-world pitfalls that can lead to inadvertent disclosures.

Presented by Catherine Sanders Reach of the NCBA

This CLE is free to GBA members; $20 for non-members.

Register Here

In Memoriam: Brinton Douglas Wright

October 31, 2025/in Newsletter, November 2025

Brinton Douglas Wright

February 8, 1949 – October 18, 2025

Brinton “Brint” Douglas Wright crossed the finish line of his earthly race with Jesus Christ on Saturday morning, October 18, 2025, after a brief battle with illness. He was 76. Born in Springhill, Louisiana on February 8, 1949, to Ed and Marteal Wright he was the proud son of a World War II Army Air Corps veteran and lived in Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Ellicott City, Maryland while growing up. While attending Johns Hopkins University he fell in love with his next-door neighbor Barbara and the two were happily married for 53 years. Brint graduated from Johns Hopkins with a degree in Economics and received his MBA degree from the University of New Hampshire, after which he earned his Juris Doctorate degree at Wake Forest University.

He began his law career with Stern, Graham, and Klepfer following his graduation and worked in business law, real estate law, estate planning, and tax law before shifting much of his focus to being a pioneer in the field of adoption law in North Carolina following the adoption of his two beloved children Cliff and Rachel through the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina.

Brint was an avid reader, known for being insightful, witty, and having the gift of insatiable intellectual curiosity. He loved his family, collecting guitars, animals of all kinds, working outside, taking road trips, studying history, antique cars, and attending folk music festivals. In recent years he traveled the state to watch his grandsons play soccer. This past year he and Barbara joyfully traveled to California to meet his newest granddaughter, Adeline.

He was an excellent brother, a steady husband, a wise father, and a warm grandfather. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, his sister Marcia (husband Norm), his son Cliff (wife Laura and grandchildren Keller, Asher, Pryor, and Ryder), his daughter Rachel (husband Brian and granddaughter Adeline) as well as many aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Make Your Donation Now for the Elementary School Project

October 31, 2025/in Frontpage Article, Newsletter, November 2025

The book program at Jones Elementary School is a wonderful Greensboro Bar Association holiday tradition! This year we will be continuing with the successful change to using GBA member donations to allow all children in grades K-5 of the Traditional English program to select a book of their choice (we are aiming for $15 or less) at the school’s Book Fair, to be held December 1-5. We will also provide a gift book for all “graduating” 5th graders in the spring, both in the Traditional English and Spanish Immersion programs. To do this, we need to raise at least $3,500. GBA volunteers are also needed to help children shop at the Book Fair this fall, and to deliver the 5th grade graduation books to the students next Spring.

Donate now online, or mail your check made payable to the Greensboro Bar Association Foundation, with “Elementary School Project” in the memo line, to:

Greensboro Bar Association Foundation
P.O. Box 1825
Greensboro, NC 27402

To volunteer or for more information, please contact Elementary School Project committee co-chairs Adam Kerr or Erin Reis.

Donations are tax-deductible, with receipts sent to each donor. Thank you in advance for your continuing support – the children and teachers at Jones thank you too!

Click to Donate Online Now

Children’s Law Center of North Carolina (CLC) Needs Your Support

October 31, 2025/in Newsletter, November 2025

Dear Colleagues,

As members of the Greensboro Bar Association, we understand the critical role that access to justice plays in the health and strength of our community. Today, I am reaching out as both a colleague and a friend of the Children’s Law Center of Central North Carolina (CLC) to share an urgent need.

For two decades, CLC has advocated for children in high-conflict custody and civil domestic violence cases, children whose voices would otherwise go unheard in court. Their work not only safeguards vulnerable children but also strengthens families and promotes stability in our community.

Like many nonprofit organizations across our state that provide essential services, it is facing increased financial pressure and despite higher demand for CLC’s services, public funding has significantly decreased in 2025. Most recently, the North Carolina General Assembly reappropriated NC IOLTA funds away from Civil Legal Aid, removing one of the few consistent streams of support available to organizations like CLC.

But the reality is this: without broader financial support from the legal community, these vital services are at risk. That is why I am asking you, as a fellow member of the Bar, to stand with Children’s Law Center. You can do this in two important ways:

Make a Financial Contribution

Your gift will directly support advocacy for children who cannot otherwise afford representation. Every dollar makes an impact in ensuring that CLC continues its mission.

Volunteer Your Time

CLC welcomes attorneys who are willing to contribute pro bono hours. By lending your expertise, you not only provide relief to an overburdened system but also experience firsthand the profound impact this work has on children and families.

The need is urgent. The children CLC serves cannot wait, and neither should we. Together, as a community of legal professionals, we can ensure that justice is not a privilege for the few, but a right for all, especially for those most vulnerable.

I hope you will join me in supporting Children’s Law Center today.

—Marcus A. Shields

Unlocking Creativity: The Power of Mind Mapping in Legal Writing

October 30, 2025/in Newsletter, November 2025

Camille Stell is Vice President of Risk & Practice Management for Lawyers Mutual Liability Insurance Co. of NC. Continue this conversation by contacting Camille at camille@lawyersmutualnc.com or 800.662.8843.

In the fast-paced world of law, clear and effective writing is essential. But legal professionals often find themselves stuck – trying to fit complex ideas into rigid outlines that don’t reflect how their minds naturally work. Enter mind mapping: a dynamic, visual approach to organizing ideas that can unlock creativity, speed up your process, and improve your writing.

What Is Mind Mapping?

Mind mapping is a visual tool for brainstorming and structuring ideas around a central concept. Instead of writing in a straight line from top to bottom, you start in the middle of the page (or screen) and branch outwards, connecting related ideas like a spider web. This mirrors how the brain actually processes information – non-linearly.

Daphne Gray-Grant on Mind Mapping

I first learned about mind mapping through my writing coach Daphne Gray-Grant, a longtime advocate of mind mapping. She explains:

“Outlining forces you into a logical, linear way of thinking. That’s not a totally bad thing of course, but it’s not very creative. When you write you want your brain to operate in the most creative way possible.”

Here is a free guide on mind mapping from Daphne – Resilient Writers – Mindmapping – Publication Coach

She encourages mind mapping not just to organize ideas but to generate them, especially when you’re facing writer’s block or trying to tackle a complex subject.

How Lawyers Can Use Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is especially powerful for legal professionals who work with dense material and high-stakes communication. Here are just a few examples of how mind mapping can enhance your practice:

Legal Writing: Use mind maps to plan motions, briefs, and memos. Seeing your argument visually helps identify weak points and redundancy.
Case Analysis: Plot out timelines, evidence, parties, and key legal questions.
Client Strategy: Map a client’s legal issues and potential responses to organize your case approach.
CLE & Presentation Planning: Outline presentations for continuing legal education or client seminars.
Succession Planning: Visualize firm leadership, roles, and future needs to prepare for transitions.

Online Mind Mapping Tools to Try

When I use mind mapping, my preference is a spiral notebook of blank paper. However, you don’t need to start with pen and paper. There are powerful digital tools that make it easy to mind map, save your work, and collaborate with others:

MindMeister – Intuitive, cloud-based, and good for collaboration.
Miro – A versatile online whiteboard with mind mapping capabilities.
XMind – A sleek desktop app ideal for detailed professional maps.
Lucidchart – Combines mind mapping with flowcharts and diagrams.
Whimsical – Clean and simple, great for fast mind maps with minimal distractions.
Coggle – A user-friendly browser-based tool with real-time collaboration.

Choosing the Best Tool for You

When selecting a mind mapping tool, consider the following:

Ease of Use: Is the interface intuitive, or does it require a learning curve?
Collaboration Features: Do you need to share or co-edit with a team?
Export Options: Can you download or integrate your mind map with other tools like Word or PDF?
Price: Many tools have free versions, but paid tiers offer more features and typically better privacy features (e.g., version history, templates, integrations).
Templates and Design: Do you prefer structured templates or a blank canvas?

For most solo or small firm lawyers, MindMeister, Miro, or Coggle are great starting points due to their ease of use and low cost.

Conclusion

Mind mapping offers a flexible and creative alternative to traditional outlining. Whether you’re writing a brief, advising a client, or planning a CLE presentation, this tool can help you organize ideas quickly and effectively. As Daphne says, “Mind mapping gives your brain the space it needs to do its best thinking.” And in the practice of law, good thinking is everything.

Camille Stell is the Vice President of Risk & Practice Management for Lawyers Mutual and is the co-author of the book, RESPECT – An Insight to Attorney Compensation Plans available from Amazon, 2nd Edition published October 2024. Continue this conversation by contacting Camille at camille@lawyersmutualnc.com or 800.662.8843.

Send Us Your Young Lawyer Award Nominations

October 30, 2025/in Newsletter, November 2025

We hope you will consider nominating someone for the GBA’s Outstanding Young Lawyer Award on or before the December 1, 2025 deadline. First awarded in 2024, the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award is bestowed upon an attorney with fewer than 10 years of practice experience. The awardee must be a member in good standing of the North Carolina State Bar and an active member of both the GBA and its Young Lawyers Section. The award recipient will exhibit professional excellence, service to the profession and the bar, service to the community, and a reputation for advancing legal ethics, personal professionalism, and professional responsibility. You may view the list of past recipients here. Nominations can be submitted here.

Young Lawyers Section: Connections

October 30, 2025/in Newsletter, November 2025

Jonathan Parisi is President of the Greensboro Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section and Attorney at Spangler Estate Planning

An Update from the Young Lawyers Section

The Young Lawyers Section has had a productive and energizing start to the bar year. Our executive board gathered on October 15, 2025, for our monthly meeting to discuss ongoing initiatives, upcoming service opportunities, and ways we can continue to support one another and our community. With a strong slate of events already underway and more on the horizon, our members remain committed to making a meaningful impact both within the profession and beyond.

Welcoming the Next Generation of Attorneys

In October, the Young Lawyers Section proudly hosted our Swearing-In Ceremony, welcoming fourteen newly licensed attorneys to the practice of law in North Carolina—whether in state, federal, or both jurisdictions. It was an inspiring and memorable event, presided over by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, the Honorable Bill Wood, and the Honorable Bill Davis. We are grateful to these distinguished judges for joining us in celebrating this important milestone in the careers of our newest colleagues. We were also joined by guest speakers Hillary Kies on behalf of the GBA, Butch Segal on behalf of the North Carolina Bar Association, and Dean Zachary Kramer on behalf of Elon University School of Law.

Looking Ahead: Service and Impact

Looking ahead, our Section is excited to continue giving back to the community through upcoming service initiatives. We are preparing for our next Urban Ministries dinner, where members will join together to cook and serve a meal to those in need in our community. Additionally, we’re continuing to explore meaningful ways to strengthen our impact at Hunter Elementary School, building on the strong partnership we’ve cultivated over the years.

Stay tuned—more updates and opportunities to get involved are just around the corner!

Connect with YLS

To provide feedback & suggestions for future events/programming, please email the Young Lawyers Section at younglawyerssection@greensborobar.org.

The Young Lawyers Section would like to celebrate the personal milestones and professional accomplishments of its members. Email YLS at younglawyerssection@greensborobar.org to share achievements that you would like celebrated on our social media platform and in the GBA’s member newsletter!

Find Us

Contact Us