MAY 2022
A Publication of North Carolina Lawyers Weekly and South Carolina Lawyers Weekly
EMPATHY
HONED THROUGH LIFE EXPERIENCES
ENABLES
KIMBERLY ZIRKLE
By Teri Saylor Minority and underserved populations in Charlotte have a straighter path to justice and prosperity thanks to the efforts of Kimberly Zirkle, a member at Moore and VanAllen of Charlotte. Zirkle’s life experiences shaped her desire to help others through pro bono work. In April, she was honored as the North Carolina Lawyers Weekly Lawyer of the Year. Growing up in rural west Georgia, Zirkle was a dreamer. “We had a front porch swing and a treehouse, where I would spend hours devouring books and daydreaming about all the places I would go one day,” she said in a recent Zoom call. One of the places she dreamed about was law school. But first she was a paralegal. “I was a paralegal for almost 10 years before I went to law school,” she said. “As a paralegal in a variety of corporate law settings, I worked on many types of transactions and was drawn to the finance practice.” Zirkle, 48, graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and economics. “Coming out of undergraduate, I knew I was interested in a career in the law,” she said. But going to law school seemed out of reach. “In addition to lacking the financial resources, I didn’t feel like I had the stamina to invest in a law degree at that time,” she said. So, she enrolled in a paralegal program in Atlanta and joined a sales team at a legal services company. Soon, her husband, Erik, a school athletic trainer, landed a job just outside of Charlotte. There, the best option for Zirkle was to go to work as a paralegal in a traditional law firm, which set the trajectory of her career in high gear. “I was a transactional paralegal, and I just fell in love with that area of practice,” she said. “And I felt I could practice in this area of the law as an attorney too.” She decided to take LSAT classes, then realized she was expecting her first child, so she put law school on the back burner in favor of motherhood while continuing to work as a paralegal. Then she had another child. Determined to keep marching toward her goal of going to law school, Zirkle took the LSAT a second time to improve her score and was accepted into the UNC School of Law in Chapel Hill. By that time, her family had moved to Salisbury. Zirkle rented an apartment and had a roommate in Chapel Hill. For her first two years of law school, she commuted back and forth, spending a few nights a week at her apartment and long weekends at home. During her third year, she was able to get by with spending just one night a week in Chapel Hill. She also juggled her studies, kids, and family time with summer associate work and law clerk duties for Moore and VanAllen a couple of days a week. Her two children were toddlers, and to say she
Overheard at the Water Cooler Page 3
Kimberly Zirkle did it the hard way is putting it mildly. “I have always said there’s a fine line between courage and crazy, and for the three years I was in law school, I toed that line,” she said, laughing. “When I took my final exam, my childcare fell through, and I had to bring my daughter with me.” She offered to take the exam in the hall, but her professor stepped in to watch the two-year-old. Zirkle grows emotional when she recalls her law school experience and the support she had from friends, family, and even professors. “I had such a community of people who wanted to see me succeed,” she said. “And honestly, I think that’s part of why I embraced pro bono work because how can I not want to see other people succeed who are trying just as hard as I was trying.” After receiving her law degree and passing the Bar Exam, MVA brought her in as a full time attorney. At the firm, she is known for her flexibility, communication skills, creative solutions and responsiveness to clients and colleagues. Lenders, private equity portfolio companies, and private companies in corporate finance and acquisition transactions make up her client base. Zirkle is also known for giving back. As co-chair of MVA’s Pro Bono and Public Service Committee, she has spread her giving spirit across the socio-economic spectrum, providing individuals much needed access to life-changing legal rep-
TO EXCEL
resentation they could not otherwise afford. Victims of human trafficking and domestic violence have benefited from the pro bono services MVA provides. “I don’t do it alone,” Zirkle said. “I have an entire team standing with me, and I’m super proud of the firm for providing the resources that allow us to take on pro bono matters.” Through collaborations with other law firms, MVA’s efforts to expand access to justice has led to a 60 percent increase in volunteers within its Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project. These efforts tapped into her deep well of empathy and a sense that this is a calling. “I grew up in a very rural area for the most part, and in my early years, we didn’t have a lot,” she said. “It’s never lost on me that on any given day, sitting across from any one of my pro bono clients I realize that could be me, and I really think that for the grace of God go I.” Many of those pro bono clients are among the most vulnerable in society. They include human trafficking victims and victims of domestic violence. She finds inspiration in their success stories. She recalls one pro bono client she represented in a domestic violence case who did not speak English and was living in a shelter with her child. “She was probably one of the most broken individuals I have ever met in my life,” Zirkle said. “It wasn’t just about getting her case resolved in court, it was about helping alleviate her worry and fear.” After the case ended, Zirkle’s client thrived. She got a job, bought a house, and her child began excelling in school. Zirkle is also directing her pro bono efforts to contribute to the greater good and Charlotte’s economic well-being. Following George Floyd’s death in 2020, Mecklenburg County Bar leaders, including MVP’s managing partner Tom Mitchell, began seeking ways lawyers could help advance racial justice and equity in the Charlotte area. They formed the Carolinas Social Impact Initiative to provide legal services to low-income entrepreneurs and small businesses owned by members of diverse communities, viewing this effort as key to advancing economic mobility and an important step toward economic equity. Along the way, Zirkle’s efforts, along with MVA and other firms were attracting attention. Two years ago, The Charlotte Pro Bono Triage, a collaboration among MVA, McGuireWoods and Charlotte-based corporate legal departments to support local legal aid organizations, received the Corporate Pro Bono Award from the national Pro Bono Institute, which recognizes innovative partnerships between law firms, in-house legal departments, and public interest organizations to raise awareness of the unmet legal needs in the community and drive volunteerism. In 2021, Zirkle and others at MVA worked with the Robinson Bradshaw law firm to form CLIMB – ■ See KIMBERLY Page 3
Q&A
Q&A with Tina Barber Page 4 Q&A with Laura Kutcher Page 5
News Briefs Page 6