Background
LAWRENCE, MELINDA was born on January 6, 1950 in Milledgeville, Georgia, United States.
LAWRENCE, MELINDA was born on January 6, 1950 in Milledgeville, Georgia, United States.
University of North Carolina (Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, 1973. Master of Education, 1973). Yale University (Juris Doctor, 1978).
Worked at Patterson, Harkavy & Lawrence, Limited liability partnership (Raleigh, North Carolina) specializing in Trial Practice in all State and Federal Courts. Employment, Labor, Workers Compensation, Constitutional, Civil Rights, Personal Injury, Environmental Law. Civil Trials and Appellate Litigation.
Admitted to the bar, 1978, North Carolina.
United States. Supreme Court. Winner, 1997 American Bar Association, John Miner Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Award.
Member: North Carolina (Litigation Section Council, Chair, 1994-1995 ) and American Bar Associations. North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys.
North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers.
American Academy of Trial Lawyers. North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services (Board of Directors, 1983. President, 1992-1994).
The Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina (Member, Board of Directors, 1980-1986, 1993). Patterson, Harkavy & Lawrence was formed in 1991 by lawyers who had practiced together for many years at the predecessor firm Smith, Patterson, Follin, Curtis, James, Harkavy & Lawrence, of Greensboro and Raleigh, North Carolina.
The firm maintains offices in both cities. The firm is dedicated to providing high quality, energetic advocacy in a few specialized areas of practice: labor and employment, civil rights, environmental, toxic tort, personal injury and workers" compensation.
The firm has extensive experience in complex litigation, class actions, trial and appellate practice, and advocacy before a variety of administrative bodies and the North Carolina General Assembly.
Members of the firm regularly provide mediation and arbitration services, teach at law schools, universities and professional education seminars and are active in bar and public interest organizations. The firm frequently litigates in affiliation with the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Legal Defense Fund, environmental organizations, and local and international unions.
Member: North Carolina (Litigation Section Council, Chair, 1994-1995 ) and American Bar Associations. North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys. North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers.
American Academy of Trial Lawyers.
North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services (Board of Directors, 1983. President, 1992-1994).
The Association of Trial Lawyers of America. American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina (Member, Board of Directors, 1980-1986, 1993).