Stinson and Freedman Receive State Bar Award
Congratulations to attorney Robin J. Stinson, who has been honored with the John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award, and to attorney David Freedman, who received the award posthumously.
The awards were presented by the N.C. State Bar in April.
In their awards presentations, Stinson was described as a leader in the family law community for decades, while Freedman was honored for his litigation skills, commitment to legal education, and his generous and kind personality.
Below are bios of both recipients.
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Robin J. Stinson
From the State Bar website:
Robin J. Stinson was born and raised in Winston-Salem. She received her undergraduate degree from Duke University in 1981, graduating cum laude. In 1984 she earned her law degree from UNC-Chapel Hill where she was a member of the Holderness Moot Court Bench. Ms. Stinson practiced in Winston-Salem and surrounding counties for more than 37 years, having practiced at several family law firms before joining Bell, Davis & Pitt to start its family law practice in 1997. Ms. Stinson focuses her practice in all areas of family law and dispute resolution, including complex marital estates and financial issues in equitable distribution, alimony, and child support cases.
Ms. Stinson has been a leader in the family law community for decades. She has been certified as a family law specialist by the North Carolina State Bar since 1991, and is a fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. She is certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission as a mediator for superior court and for family financial mediations, and is certified as an arbitrator by the Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Ms. Stinson previously served as president of the North Carolina chapter of the Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
She is well known for her many manuscripts and speaking engagements. She has devoted decades of her life and her career to strengthening the legal education of lawyers beginning their family law practice. She has a legacy of educating young lawyers to practice law with exceptional legal knowledge and high ethical standards.
Ms. Stinson is a past-president of the Forsyth County Bar Association and past-chair of the 21st Judicial District Bar Ethics and Grievance Committee. She has served in numerous positions with the North Carolina Bar Association and Bar Foundation, including as chair of the Endowment Committee; Bar Foundation director; member of the Development Committee; member of the Personnel Committee; member of the Board of Governors; Family Law Section chair; and forum editor. Ms. Stinson is a past-chair of The Children’s Law Center of Northwest North Carolina; past board member for the Legal Aid Society of Northwest North Carolina; and member and past board member of Directors for Northwest Child Development Council, Inc.
Ms. Stinson was in the inaugural class of Women of Justice, presented by NC Lawyers Weekly, and received the James E. Cross Jr. Leadership Award presented by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. She has also received the YWCA Women of Vision Leadership Award.
David Freedman
David Freedman graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1979 and from its law school in 1982. He moved to Winston-Salem after completing his law degree where he worked as an attorney for nearly 40 years. During his career, Mr. Freedman represented numerous judges and attorneys in state disciplinary actions. He won jury verdicts in complex civil trials representing both plaintiffs and defendants. He also handled hundreds of serious felonies, including those involving clients charged with first-degree murder. In addition, Mr. Freedman often represented local law-enforcement officers through the Police Benevolent Association. Mr. Freedman was most recently a partner in the law firm of Freedman, Thompson, Witt, Ceberio & Byrd.
Mr. Freedman was a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in both federal and state criminal law. He previously served as president of the Forsyth County Bar Association, chair of the Criminal Law Section of the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers (now known as the North Carolina Advocates for Justice), and past-president of the Forsyth County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He was a past recipient of the Harvey Lupton award from the Forsyth County Criminal Defense Trial Lawyers Association, and was named the state’s best criminal defense attorney in 2006 by Business North Carolina magazine.
Mr. Freedman was heavily involved in legal education during his career. He was an adjunct professor of law at Wake Forest University School of Law for 15 years, where he taught criminal procedure and trial practice. He wrote and presented the Criminal Law Update for the WFU Annual Review from 2001 to 2010. Mr. Freedman spoke at numerous Continuous Legal Education Seminars for the North Carolina Bar Association and North Carolina Advocates for Justice. He also spoke to the Virginia Bar and the solicitors of Kentucky as well as to an ethics class at Harvard University.
Mr. Freedman gave generously of his time, knowledge, and experience. He was always gentle and kind, and his generosity of spirit reverberated through the legal community. He engaged in many pro bono endeavors.
During his nearly 40-year career as an attorney, Mr. Freedman was a zealous advocate for his clients and a dedicated mentor to his friends and colleagues.
SOURCE: Home | North Carolina State Bar (ncbar.gov)
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