AKE W
BAR FLYER
LEGAL COLLEGIALITY, SERVED WITH THE STANLEY CUP
JOHN B. WARD, PRESIDENT | WAKE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION
A
S A LIFELONG college football and basketball fan, I usually find early summer to be a slow sports season. This year was different. Between the Canes’ dominant Stanley Cup victory, the Knicks’ historic championship win, the shocking upsets at the French Open and the dramatic (sometimes for the wrong reasons) FIFA World Cup matches, this summer has offered engaging competitions on the biggest stages in sports. Watching competitors at the peak of their respective sports face off at the highest levels of Ward competition has been a joy. These athletes have endured grueling training sessions, sacrificed time with family and friends and spent countless sleepless nights worrying about their performance so they could be at their best when it mattered most. I have two young kids, and I love watching games with them because of the different perspectives they bring to the table. We watched a World Cup match a few weeks ago, and after the final whistle, players who had just been battling on the field gave each other hugs and exchanged jerseys. We saw similar exchanges after the Canes beat the Las Vegas Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup. Players who had literally been slamming each other into the boards minutes before were helping each other to their feet and shaking hands after the game ended. My daughter was dumbfounded: “Dad, I thought they hated each other!” I explained that even the fiercest competitors treat one another with respect and often even like each other when they are not competing. As badly as every player wants to win, they all understand they are playing the same game, and they are all in it for more or less the same reasons. Elite players recognize that sportsmanship and reputation are more important than winning every game. The legal parallel is not hard to draw. Would-be lawyers grind through college and law school competing for grades and job opportunities before spending an anxietyridden summer studying for the bar exam. In practice, we compete for good outcomes CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
VOL. LIV v ISSUE 3 THIRD QUARTER 2026
UPCOMING EVENTS September 3 Learn Over Lunch CLE: Trust Accounting 101 September 10 WCBA Social & Trivia Night September 10 YLD Social September 17 2026 Bench v. Bar Kickball Game
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 4
The Impact of North Carolina’s IOLTA Freeze Continues
7
Together we Raise the Bar: The Importance of the 2026 Bar Awards
9
2026 WCBA Foundation Scholarship Winners
11 2026 WCBA Foundation Community Grants 12 When the Game Plan Changed: How a Lawyer Went from Tackles to Trials 13 Our Members Speak: Memorable Sports Moments 14 Direct Examination: Judge Allegra Collins 16 Four Lawyers and a Social Worker Reduce their Chances of Developing Dementia 20 Welcome, New Members
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS 100 MILES FOR 100 YEARS CHALLENGE | May - September WCBA MEMBERS-ONLY OYSTER ROAST | September 25 2025 BAR AWARDS: $100K FOR 100 YEARS | October 23 wakecountybar.org 919.677.9903 • info@wakecountybar.org
CENTENNIAL GALA | December 5