The new year will bring many changes to our state appellate courts.  Another big change was announced yesterday.  With Court of Appeals Chief Judge Linda McGee retiring after over 25 years of service, Chief Justice Cheri Beasley has appointed Judge Donna Stroud as the new chief of our intermediate appellate court, effective January 1, 2021.

Judge Stroud has served on the Court of Appeals since 2007—a tenure of 14 years.  She has long been actively engaged with the lawyers in the North Carolina appellate bar.  She also chairs the Chief Justice’s Rules Advisory Commission, which recommends amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure and the General Rules of Practice.   Judge Stroud will be our first Chief Judge to have graduated law school from Campbell University (Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law)—first in her class, I should add.  Judge Stroud also picked up an LLM from Duke along the way.

Congratulations, soon-to-be Chief Judge Stroud!  And, of course, our continued thanks and gratitude to outgoing Chief Judge McGee!

–Matt Leerberg