Rickye Mckoy-Mitchell, District Court Judge

Mecklenburg County

Law school: University of North Carolina

Undergraduate: B.A. in psychology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Rickye McKoy-Mitchell has presided over district courts for 14 years. She has long been a high achiever. As a UNC undergraduate, she was a recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine becoming one of the youngest people to ever receive the prestigious award.

You have been a district court judge for a long time, and you preside over a wide spectrum of proceedings. Do you gravitate to a single area of justice or do you enjoy the variety?

I have been fortunate to serve the 26th Judicial District for the past 14 years, presiding in all of the District Courts including criminal, criminal administrative/first appearance, civil, domestic, civil and criminal domestic violence, juvenile, and child support courts. Serving them gives me a holistic view of the judicial system and greater insight into shaping the most effective judgments.

Why is your service as chair of the Bench, Bar and Community Subcommittee of the Mecklenburg County Bar Special Committee on Diversity important to you?

As chair of the subcommittee, I work with other members to implement initiatives focusing on opportunities in the legal profession for minorities and women. One effort was the establishment of the Julius L. Chambers Diversity Champion Award to recognize individuals who embody high ethical standards, unquestioned integrity, consistent competence, and who champion diversity in the legal profession Other initiatives include a Lunch with a Lawyer mentoring program targeting rising eighth grade students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools; mock trial presentations for students at all grade levels, and a Continuing Legal Education Series involving judicial panels in partnership with the affinity bars and the Young Lawyers Division. Participation in this work has been a journey of service for me. At a very early age, I appreciated that I had been given the opportunity to see beyond my circumstances the possibilities, and I feel compelled to assist others in seeing their potential too.

What inspires you to go to work every day?

I remind myself of how fortunate I am to be a District Court judge and to be in a position to make a positive impact in someone’s life. In the many courts in which I serve, the circumstances in which many people find themselves often are beyond our imagination. What keeps me going is when I see a young person in Juvenile Court achieve success and realize a potential she/he never thought was possible, or when I see a domestic violence victim gaining a greater sense of safety because a protective order was entered. These cases inspire me to be better and to try even harder the next day to be a fair and impartial judge who thoughtfully, respectfully, and effectively seeks to create the most appropriate outcome for all. These cases inspire me to be better and to try even harder the next day.