Hon. James G. Exum

Description:

Chief Justice James Gooden Exum was born in 1935 in Snow Hill, N.C. He received the prestigious Morehead Scholarship to attend UNC for undergraduate and then continued on to graduate from NYU School of Law. He then clerked for Justice Emery Denny of the N.C. Supreme Court. He practiced law in Greensboro before serving briefly in the Army and speaks about a products liability case involving the Real Kill insecticide that he considers the most significant trial of his career. He was elected to the N.C. General Assembly in 1967 And discusses legislation on water resources and sea turtle protection that he supported. After service in the legislature, he was appointed to the N.C. Superior Court bench and he recounts memories from his time as a trial judge. In 1974 he was elected to the N.C. Supreme Court bench. He served as Chief Justice from 1986 to 1995. He speaks about a number of efforts he undertook as Chief Justice including the advance in court technology and encouragement of alternative dispute resolution.

Link to Audio / Transcripts:

http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/sohp/id/12354 (First Interview)
http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/ref/collection/sohp/id/12290 (Second Interview)