Burley Bayard Mitchell Jr. (born December 15, 1940) is an American jurist and former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. He received his bachelor's degree from

North Carolina State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...

and his J.D. degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Early career

A veteran of the United States Navy, Mitchell served as an Assistant Attorney General of North Carolina from 1969–1972 and as a

District Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...

from 1972-1977. He was a judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals from 1977 to 1979, when Governor

Jim Hunt James Baxter Hunt Jr. (born May 16, 1937) is an American politician and retired attorney who was the List of governors of North Carolina, 69th and 71st Governor of North Carolina (1977–1985, and 1993–2001). He is the longest-serving governo ...

appointed Mitchell as his Secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety.

Supreme Court service

Mitchell served as an associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1982 to 1994 and as chief justice from 1995 to 1999. Gov. Hunt appointed Mitchell to the office of chief justice in late 1994 to take the place of the retiring James G. Exum. In

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

, Mitchell was elected to the post in the general election, defeating Republican Ray Warren. As a judge, Mitchell wrote 484 decisions, including the landmark ''Leandro v. State of North Carolina'' case regarding educational opportunities for all North Carolina children. He was also well known for reducing the court's backlog. Mitchell was also known for securing additional resources for the court system for technology and personnel through appropriations at the state level as well as projects for the criminal justice system at the federal level. Mitchell's staff at the Administrative Office of the Courts included North Carolina Court of Appeals Judge

Jack L. Cozort Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name, ...

, who took leave to work for Mitchell as acting AOC director, and deputy director Jeanne Bonds, who was serving on the

Knightdale Knightdale is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, Wake County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, Knightdale has a population of 19,435. That's up from 11, 401 in 2010 United States Census, 2010 . T ...

Town Council at the time.

Post-Supreme Court activities

Mitchell retired and joined the law firm of

Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice PLLC Womble Bond Dickinson is a transatlantic law firm formed in 2017 as a result of a merger between UK-based Bond Dickinson LLP and US-based Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP. The combination followed a strategic alliance announcement made in 201 ...

. He has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees for

, as a member of the University of North Carolina system board of governors, and as chairman of U.S. Senator Kay Hagan's advisory panel on federal judicial nominees. In 2006, Mitchell helped found a so-called

527 group A 527 organization or 527 group is a type of U.S. tax-exempt organization organized under Section 527 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (). A 527 group is created primarily to influence the selection, nomination, election, appointment or defeat ...

called FairJudges.net, which aimed to educate North Carolina voters about state appellate judicial candidates. In 2007, Mitchell received the North Carolina Award for public service.News & Observer: Mitchell and Frye recognized

References

External links

Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Burley North Carolina State University alumni University of North Carolina School of Law alumni State cabinet secretaries of North Carolina North Carolina Court of Appeals judges Chief Justices of the North Carolina Supreme Court Living people Needham B. Broughton High School alumni 1940 births