State Bar honors four with McMillan Award

A former state Supreme Court justice and three lawyers have recently been presented the John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award by the North Carolina State Bar.

The honorees are:

• Justice Robert H. Edmunds Jr.
• Charles Branson “Branny” Vickory III.
• Patricia P. Shields.
• Robert C. “Bert” Kemp III.

Edmunds was presented the honor Jan. 16 at the Greensboro Bar Association’s member meeting, Elected to the North Carolina Supreme Court in 2000, his legal career also includes service as an assistant U.S. attorney and the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina during the Reagan and George W. Bush administrations, as a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals and as an assistant district attorney in Guilford County.

“Recognized for his integrity, professionalism, and mentorship, Justice Edmunds’s collegiality and fairness have set a high standard in the legal profession,” the news release announcing his recognition says. “Justice Edmunds embodies the very essence of service and dedication that this award represents.”

Vickory was recognized at the 9th Judicial District Bar annual meeting in Goldsboro on Nov. 24. His legal career includes having practiced with his father in Mount Olive and serving as assistant district attorney for the 8th Prosecutorial District from 1984 to 1998, when he was appointed district attorney by then-Gov. Jim Hunt. He was repeatedly reelected without opposition until he retired in 2014 to enter private practice.

“For his unwavering commitment to justice, mentorship, and community service, Charles Branson “Branny” Vickory III is truly deserving of the John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award,” the release announcing his recognition says.

Shields was presented the award Nov. 14 in Raleigh. Her legal career began with a two-year clerkship for Chief Judge R.A. “Fred” Hedrick of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. She went on to practice with Bailey & Dixon, Troutman Sanders, and Hedrick, Gardner, Kincheloe & Garofalo, building a successful civil litigation and appellate practice, including providing pro bono services to disadvantaged clients.

Says the release announcing her recognition: “Throughout her career, Ms. Shields has remained dedicated to fairness, professionalism, and advancing the legal profession. Her career is marked by a commitment to justice, integrity, and the highest ethical standards.”

Kemp was presented the award Dec. 12 at the Pitt County Bar Association Holiday Party in Greenville. He started his legal career as an assistant district attorney in Pitt County. He then moved to the Pitt County Public Defender’s Office as an assistant public defender in 2001 and as chief public defender from 2007 to 2023, when he stepped down. He also serves as a lieutenant colonel in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps in the North Carolina National Guard.

“His years of service to the legal profession, his mentorship of young lawyers, and his unwavering dedication to the principles of justice exemplify why he is so deserving of the John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award,” the release announcing his recognition says.