Janet Ward Black, Ward Black Law

Greensboro

Law school: Duke University School of Law

Undergraduate: B.A. in economics, Davidson College

Janet Ward Black is the president of one of the largest women-owned law firms in North Carolina and has served in more than 50 business and civic organizations throughout the course of her career, including as president of the North Carolina Bar Association. She works hard to pave the way for other young women to follow in her footsteps.

As president of the North Carolina Bar Association, you created the 4ALL Program. How has the program been received by the public?

4ALL focuses our state’s legal community on the legal needs of those less fortunate. It seeks to increase pro bono service by lawyers and increased lobbying efforts by the legal community to support the provision of legal services to the poor, and to encourage lawyers to support legal services for the poor financially. We started a day for lawyers to answer phone calls from North Carolinians about legal issues. In just six years, more than 20,000 North Carolinians have spoken to a lawyer for free. And we’ve also raised around a million dollars through the N.C. Bar Foundation to help pay for the educational debt of lawyers who want to work for Legal Aid of North Carolina.

How do you promote the law as a profession to girls and young women?

We mentor a number of young female lawyers each summer and we help serve as an incubator at times for young women lawyers starting out. I’ve also spoken at Girls’ State for the last 22 years about women in the legal profession. I think just from that program I’ve talked to over 6,000 young North Carolina women about the importance of our system of justice and law as a profession for women.

Why is it important to serve as a leader in such a wide variety of business and civic organizations?

I practice law in large part to be able to serve people and to support causes such as Legal Aid of North Carolina. We as lawyers have a duty to seek justice, and not just for personal clients, but for everyone in our community. My non-profit work, particularly in the legal community, has made me a better lawyer, a bigger fan of our system of justice, and a grateful citizen of North Carolina.

What is your favorite travel destination?

I work with International Cooperating Ministries, which builds churches around the world for poor congregations. I’ve traveled with ICM to India, China, Vietnam and soon Africa. I loved India probably best of all. Beautiful people. We as lawyers have a duty to seek justice, and not just for personal clients, but for everyone in our community.