NCSB Journal Summer 2026

beginning with a shared meal, followed by a program presented by a designated pupil lage team. These teams are composed of members at various stages in their careers: law students (“pupils”), young lawyers (“associate members”), lawyers with fewer than ten years of experience (“barristers”), and experienced attorneys or judges with more than ten years of practice (“masters”). This structure fosters mentorship and pro vides law students the rare opportunity to interact directly with judges or senior attor neys. Program topics vary widely—from casual discussions about client red flags to formal panels comparing state and federal criminal practice. Several North Carolinians have served on the Board of Trustees for the American Inns of Court, including Dean Emeritus Robert Walsh, the Honorable Robinson O. Everett, and W. Thompson Comerford Jr., Esq. 12 Dean Walsh also served as board president addiction, and violence, survivors need resources. There are 20 agencies on the Harrelson Center campus and dozens more in the greater community. By triaging indi viduals to this continuum of care, a plan takes shape that empowers survivors to envi sion a future better than their current cir cumstances. The Truth about Trauma: Chief Justice Paul Newby understands the importance of this work. He created the Chief Justice’s ACEs Task Force. The mis sion of the task force is to enable Judicial Branch stakeholders to understand the impact on children of exposure to ACEs (adverse childhood experiences; adverse community environments); and to develop strategies for addressing adverse conse quences within our court system. I was priv ileged to chair the task force my final three years in office, and convened diverse judicial leaders from across the state to make our courts more trauma informed. Among the achievements of the task force has been the creation of an ACEs Informed Courts Finding the Next Starfish (cont.)

of the American Inns of Court Foundation from 2008 to 2010. 13 Two Inn members— E. Osborne Ayscue Jr., Esq., and the Honorable William L. Osteen—have received professionalism awards recognizing exemplary service to the legal profession. 14 Many other North Carolina members have also contributed to national committees. 15 In summary, the American Inns of Court movement has helped to elevate professional excellence and mentorship within the legal profession. If you are interested in locating an American Inn of Court in your area or learning how to start one, please visit innsof court.org. n Jason Hicks is a deputy county attorney with Guilford County, North Carolina. He is licensed in both Tennessee and North Carolina. Over the course of his career, he has practiced family/divorce law, probate, and civil litigation, as well as elder law, juvenile Bench Card that the Administrative Office of the Courts distributes to officials throughout our state; mandatory eight hours of training for all new judges and advanced certification for all judges regard ing ACEs and trauma; and the creation of Safer Baby Courts in multiple jurisdictions. Throwing the Starfish Back You probably know the parable: A young child is saving starfish washed ashore, even though the tide has receded and there are dozens left to die, baking in the sun. When an older person questions the futility of these efforts, the child responds by picking up the next starfish, throwing it back into the sea and saying, “It made a difference to that one.” This story lands with us because we know that small acts of kindness count and saving even one starfish makes it all worth it. We can now be more strategic with our efforts. Using the science behind ACEs, we know where on the beach we need to look next. We can point to the scoreboard of the last 20 years to see that the formula works. We should no longer ask “what is wrong with you,” but rather “what happened to you?” Getting to the underlying trauma stops the cycle of violence, addiction, and poverty.

law, and local government law.

Endnotes 1. it.ly/4tT446W (last accessed May 15, 2025). 2. Pixton, Paul. The American Inns of Court: Reclaiming a Noble Profession . Page 18. American Inns of Court dis tributed by Matthew Bender & Company. 1997. 3. Id. at 11. 4. bit.ly/4eAof4X (last accessed May 15, 2025). 5. bit.ly/42nmn8g (last accessed May 15, 2025). 6. E-mail from Michelle Runge to Jason F. Hicks (April 1, 2025), (on file with the author).

7. Id. 8. Id . 9. Id .

10. Id . 11. Id . 12. E-mail from Michelle Runge to Jason F. Hicks (April 1, 2025), (on file with the author). 13 Id .

14. Id . 15. Id .

We have slowed the revolving door of recidivism and repeat offenses by hacking at the roots of crime. We must continue to lock up violent offenders and career offenders, but we must focus on second chances and teachable moments for our kids. We also need to look to rehabilitation for those strug gling with mental illness and drug addiction. I am proud that we pioneered a teen court, a community recovery court for drug treat ment and mental illness, as well as a veterans’ treatment court in New Hanover County that continue to operate to this day. Today’s victims do not have to be tomorrow’s defendants and high crime areas do not have to be high victim areas. By getting the right resources to people in need today, we uphold the Constitutionally protected rights of victims and keep all of us more safe tomorrow. Getting the next starfish back into the water creates the ulti mate ripple effect. Whatever success I have enjoyed over the last 25 years has come from surrounding my self with the right people, having the support of everyone in our community, and working together on a common mission. These things are all in rich supply at the CJC. In the place I work today, we used to lock them up. Now it’s time to unlock hope. n

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THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE BAR JOURNAL