UNC School of Law honored Parker Poe attorney James Y. Preston with the Distinguished Alumnus Award at the school’s annual Carolina Law Alumni Banquet at the Carolina Inn on October 9.
Parker Poe attorney Hank Hankins represented the UNC School of Law Alumni Association in presenting Mr. Preston with the award. “Jim Preston is a family man, a bar leader, a community leader, a mentor, a superb counselor and a dedicated Tar Heel,” said Mr. Hankins. “He defined professionalism as a commitment to public service, the legal system and rock hard integrity, honesty, truth and fidelity that is unwavering. Jim Preston is the personification of this, and his career has been the perfect example of true professionalism.”
The Distinguished Alumni Award was also presented to The Honorable Roy A. Cooper III, North Carolina's attorney general and Reginald T. Shuford, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation (ACLUF).
Mr. Preston has practiced law for more than 40 years and was the first Chairman of Parker Poe’s Tax Department, a position he held until his retirement. Beginning in 1980, Mr. Preston spent ten years on the State Bar Council, serving as President for the year 1988-89. Following his service as a State Bar officer, Mr. Preston was an IOLTA Trustee and a North Carolina delegate to the American Bar Association House of Delegates. In recognition of his skills and his service, he was selected as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and is a member of the prestigious American Law Institute.
Mr. Preston currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Wildacres Retreat, The Foundation for the Carolinas, the Bank of Granite and the Echo Foundation, and as President of the Croydon Foundation. In 2008, The Charlotte Observer recognized Mr. Preston’s service to the community by bestowing on him the distinguished title, Patron of the Arts.
Mr. Preston received his JD, with high honors (1961) and his BA (1958) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
About Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP
Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP has 225 lawyers in six offices across the Carolinas. The Firm represents domestic and international clients in litigation and dispute, commercial, transactional and regulatory matters, including employment, environmental and government affairs.