Attorney Jacqueline D. Grant Appointed to Judgeship

Appointed by North Carolina Governor Roy C. Cooper on May 7, 2021, Attorney Jaqueline D. Grant will serve as a Superior Court Judge for the North Carolina 28th Judicial District.

A lifelong resident of Buncombe County, Attorney Jaqueline D. Grant—now the Honorable Judge Grant—is an alumna of A.C. Reynolds High School in Asheville. She graduated magna cum laude from Western Carolina University in 1992 and received her law degree in 1995 from the UNC School of Law in Chapel Hill.

Prior to her appointment, Grant served on the North Carolina Bar Association Board of Governors from 2010 to 2013, and in 2014 became the first African American female to serve as president of the 28th Judicial District Bar Association (encompassing Buncombe County). In 2018 she became the second African American female and third African American overall to serve as president of the North Carolina Bar Association.

Grant was a partner and litigator with Roberts & Stevens in Asheville for more than 20 years. There she served on many committees, including the Medico-Legal Liaison Committee, chaired the Delivery of Legal Services Committee, and co-chaired the Awards and Recognitions Committee.

“I can’t think of a lawyer more deserving of this position than Jackie Grant,” said Roberts & Stevens partner Wyatt Stevens. “Jackie is a model for the rest of the bar to follow. She practices law with a level head, exceptional competence, and the highest ethical standards. She gets outstanding results for her clients and has made a positive difference in our community. We were incredibly proud to have Jackie as a member of our firm.”

In 2016, Attorney Grant was recognized as a recipient of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Citizen Lawyer Award, presented annually in recognition of exemplary community service. When she was installed as the 124th president of the NCBA in 2018, she was the first female attorney from Asheville to serve in that role.

A committed community leader and volunteer, Grant has served on the board of directors for Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, WCU Board of Visitors, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Western North Carolina, the City of Asheville Sustainable Economic Development Task Force, the UNC Asheville Foundation, and the YMCA (both of Asheville and of WNC). She noted that the NC Bar Association Foundation has also provided funding to worthwhile projects across the state, including grants to Legal Aid of North Carolina and Pisgah Legal Services; both organizations provide legal services to North Carolina’s underserved and indigent populations.

Grant encourages individuals who are planning to pursue a career in law to work hard and never give up. Grant stresses that education is the vehicle in which people can get to their long-term goals and she encourages students to utilize the resources available to keep going to pursue a successful career.

“You always have to think long-term goals; if you think short-term, you can become discouraged and it may seem hard,” said Judge Grant. “I am proud to serve as judge who is dedicated to serving the public and the legal profession by promoting the administration of justice and encouraging the highest standards of integrity, competence, and civility.”

Judge Grant will fill the seat previously held by Judge Marvin Pope, who recently retired.