The top judge in North Carolina, Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby, offered the first keynote address of the Dean’s Speaker Series at HPU Law.
“Don’t worry; I’m licensed to carry these,” he began his remarks, pulling the NC and US constitutions out of his chest pocket. Given that he once helped conduct an investigation to recover NC’s original copy of the Bill of Rights, the joke landed perfectly.
Unlike the US Constitution, Chief Justice Newby noted, NC’s legal charter grants an additional right, “the right to the fruit of one’s own labor,” to the usual trio of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Another interesting fact he brought to light was how North Carolina was the 12th (out of 13) state to ratify the US Constitution, holding out for the incorporation of the Bill of Rights.
Along with these historic documents, Chief Justice Newby discussed an even older book of high authority: The Bible. He encouraged students to read Proverbs and consider how justice is aligned with God’s wisdom. He next moved to the biblical passage in Micah 6:8, challenging listeners to consider: “[W]hat does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
With these principles in mind, the Chief Justice challenged the class to a high degree of integrity. He asked them to consider working in rural areas, where lawyers are needed and can have a tremendous impact on the public good. He further called on the students to be lawyer-leaders in their communities.
Chief Justice Newby finished his remarks by praising the values-based mission of High Point University and speaking about the special aspects of being in an inaugural class. High Point Law is extremely thankful that Chief Justice Newby came to speak to the class, and more, serves on the school’s extended faculty.
When asked about the current Chief Justices’ visit, Founding Dean and Former Chief Justice Mark Martin commented:
Chief Justice Newby, a man of such character and integrity, was the perfect person to kick off our Dean’s Speaker Series—a sequence of talks to inspire and educate our students. I cherish the 15 years we spent serving together on the North Carolina Supreme Court.
Drew Covitt, a 1L student and future “Double Panther” (attending High Point University as an undergraduate), said:
We all appreciate that Chief Justice Newby took time out of his very busy schedule to offer us words of encouragement as we embark on our legal education. He offered us advice that left us feeling proud of the opportunity we have here at HPU Law— not only to leave an impression on the students coming after us but also on the world of law as a whole.