Director appointed for Administrative Office of the Courts 

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Chief Justice Paul Newby has appointed Deputy Director Ryan S. Boyce as director of the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts, effective April 4, according to a news release. 

His role will be to manage and oversee the administrative services provided to the Judicial Branch’s more than 6,500 employees and hundreds of courthouses and facilities in every county of the state. Boyce replaces Judge Drew Heath who has accepted a partnership at national law firm, Nelson Mullins.

“Deputy Director Boyce’s experience and record of success within the Judicial Branch and state government make him an excellent choice to lead the modernization of our state courts,” Chief Justice Newby said in the release.

Boyce has served as NCAOC Deputy Director since January 2021. He previously led NCAOC’s governmental affairs under two former NCAOC directors. Boyce has held several other leadership roles in state government including general counsel at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and deputy general counsel at the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the release reported.

Prior to attending law school, he spent three years as a staffer in the United States House of Representatives. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Juris Doctor from the Charleston School of Law, and is currently pursuing an LLM in international legal practice.