Sen. Leslie J. Winner
Description:
Senator Leslie J. Winner was born in Asheville in 1950. She studied psychology at Brown University and then attended Northeastern School of Law. In this interview she speaks about her childhood, family, early influences, education, summers during college, and working during law school in various positions. She describes clerking for the Honorable James B. McMillan of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina after law school and reflects on working on the Price-Anderson Act constitutionality case (see Carolina Environmental Study Group, Inc. v. U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, 431 F.Supp. 203 (W.D.N.C. 1977), rev’d. sub nom. Duke Power Co. v. Carolina Environmental Study Group, Inc., 438 U.S. 59 (1978). She goes on to describe working for Legal Services from 1977 to 1981 before entering private practice, her role in state redistricting lobbying and litigation, her professional relationship with Julius Chambers, their work together on Thornburg v. Gingles [478 U.S. 30 (1986)], and being elected to the N.C. Senate in 1992.
Link to Audio / Transcript: