Chris Brook

Chris Brook

Democratic Party

Prior offices

North Carolina Court of Appeals

Successor: Jefferson Griffin

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Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 2002

Law

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 2005

Personal

Birthplace

Macon-Bibb County, Ga.

Religion

Episcopalian

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign YouTube

Personal LinkedIn

Chris Brook (Democratic Party) was a judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He assumed office in 2019. He left office on December 31, 2020.

Brook (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for the Seat 13 judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Brook completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Brook was the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina from 2012 to 2019.

Education

Brook received his undergraduate degree and J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While in law school, Brook was a legal intern at the UNC Center for Civil Rights, director of the Carolina Law Pro Bono Program, and managing editor of the North Carolina Journal of International Law and Commercial Regulation.

Career

• 2019-2020: Judge, North Carolina Court of Appeals
• 2012-2019: Legal director, American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina
• 2008-2012: Staff attorney, Southern Coalition for Social Justice
• 2005-2008: Attorney, Cranfill, Sumner and Hartzog

Elections

2020

See also: North Carolina intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 13

Jefferson Griffin defeated incumbent Chris Brook in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 13 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jefferson Griffin (R)	51.2	2,720,503
		Chris Brook (D)	48.8	2,597,573

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,318,076
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Chris Brook advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 13.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Jefferson Griffin advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 13.

Endorsements

To view Brook's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2020

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released April 29, 2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Chris Brook completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Brook's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I spent my formative years in Raleigh, where I attended public middle and high school. I received my undergraduate and law degrees from the UNC-CH. From 2007 to 2011, I was an adjunct professor at UNC-CH.

I first practiced law in the Raleigh office of Cranfill, Sumner & Hartzog. I then worked as a public interest attorney for more than a decade before being appointed to the bench. I was admitted to practice in North Carolina state courts as well as each federal district court in the state, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States. I successfully litigated matters across both state and federal court, including leading litigation before the Supreme Court of the United States.

I have received numerous recognitions for my contributions to the community and the legal profession in the state. I was inducted into the Davis Society upon graduating from Carolina Law and was subsequently honored as the school's Outstanding Recent Graduate. In 2016, the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys awarded me the Gwyneth B. Davis Public Service Award. I was also the winner of the North Carolina Justice Center's Defender of Justice Litigation Award in 2017.

Since my April 2019 appointment to the North Carolina Court of Appeals by Governor Roy Cooper, I have authored more than 85 opinions that speak to my rigor, fairness, and respect for everyone who appears before me.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Having litigated cases across our state and federal court system and as a judge currently serving on the Court of Appeals, I am the most experienced candidate on the ballot for my seat on the Court.
• I have a track record of deciding cases at the Court of Appeals fairly and impartially, following the facts and law to the conclusion to which they lead.
• In private practice, I represented people from every walk of life so I have a unique perspective on how North Carolinians interact with and are impacted by our legal system.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As a sitting judge and judicial candidate, I am not a policy-maker. I instead decide cases that come before the Court of Appeals impartially based on the governing law.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

The most important quality for a judge on the Court of Appeals in my opinion is respect for everyone we interact with at the Court. This covers the waterfront from my chambers to our courtroom. I treat all of the clerks, interns, and externs with the regard that they deserve. I take particular pride in working to advance the legal careers of women and persons of color. Along the same lines, I work to be a conscientious colleagues to my fellow judges on the Court of Appeals. This means quickly responding when they circulate their opinions and taking seriously their views of the facts and law. Finally, and most importantly, I respect every party who appears before us at the Court of Appeals and each argument that they make. I demonstrate this by paying close attention to the details of each case to ensure I am ruling based on the facts and law as opposed to race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, or political affiliation. I want every North Carolina to know that they will get a fair shake and hearing when they appear before me.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities for someone serving and/or elected to the Court of Appeals are to work hard and to follow the facts and law where the lead. The volume and variety of cases before our court is daunting and requires hard work day in and day out. That rigor is something that shines through in the more than 85 opinions I have written in my year and a half on the court. Every bit as important, judges need to reason through the facts and law to a legal conclusion instead of vice versa. It is so important that we not start our review of the case with an outcome in mind. Reviewing my work as a judge on the Court of Appeals makes plain I am not a rubber stamp for any interest, but instead am an independent thinker who rules without fear or favor.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was working at the Eckerd pharmacy near the house where I grew up in Raleigh. I started on my sixteenth birthday and worked there until I graduated from high school. It was a great opportunity to learn from my hard-working, smart colleagues. And there is no feeling quite like getting your first paycheck.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Man on the Moon by R.E.M.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Where, as a general matter, the North Carolina Supreme Court has discretion over the cases it hears, parties have an appeal of right to the Court of Appeals. And, when a party appeals a decision made by a trial court, the North Carolina Court of Appeals is generally the end of the road for their case. Given that we are frequently the final word in cases, it is so important that judges on our courts are well prepared to serve. My experience representing North Carolinians from all walks of life across subject matter areas shines through in the more than 85 opinions I have written as a member of the Court of Appeals. I am also the only candidate for my seat on the Court with experience across our state and federal court system.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

I master the facts and law and follow them to the conclusion to which they lead. In so doing, I try to be humble in the opinions I write, deciding only those issues that we must to decide the case. And I try to write accessible, practical opinions that are easy to understand and follow. This means writing opinions that are not only straightforward for trial courts to apply, but also are comprehensible to lawyers and non-lawyers alike.

Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?

I am a huge admirer of Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan. She is, of course, brilliant. And I find so much to admire in her opinions. She is a wonderful, engaging writer. Her opinions evince a deep engagement with the facts and law, following both to their logical conclusion. They are also practical, keeping an eye on how legal rules operate in the real world.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Yes. Empathy is a cousin to respect in my experience. Every litigant appearing before our Court deserves my respect. Every brief filed in our Court deserves my undivided attention. And, yes, I work hard to deeply engage and identify with each argument puts forward by the parties. I then weigh those arguments against the law as it stands and the facts of that case. I believe that that process of engagement is more likely to produce just outcomes consistent with our laws.

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

I have not been rated by a Bar Association. The Bar Association does not rate state judges or candidates for state judicial offices.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I am running to keep my seat on the Court of Appeals to give back to the state that has given me so much throughout the years. I was raised by a single mother who was a public school teacher so North Carolina literally put food on the table. I attended public middle and high school in Raleigh. And I am a double Tar Heel, attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for my undergraduate and law degrees.

I have tried to re-pay this debt throughout the course of my legal career.

I have only ever practiced in North Carolina and the bulk of my time in private practice was spent as a public interest lawyer representing North Carolinians from all walks of life.

I have also put my degree to use in my community. I recently wrapped up a term as Chair of the North Carolina Bar Association's Constitutional Rights and Responsibilities Section. Prior to the being appointed to the bench, I was a volunteer attorney at the Compass Center for Women and Families and founded a monthly housing law clinic at El Centro Hispano. And I served on the Size of the School Task Force and Pro Bono Alumni Board at Carolina Law.

I view my service on the Court of Appeals in a similar way: it is another opportunity to put the skills and training I received in North Carolina public school to use for the people of our great state.

A final note: I am also running to keep my seat because I respect the work of the Court of Appeals and love my job. We are tasked with the solemn responsibility of adjudicating challenging legal disputes. I approach this responsibility with deep seriousness. And I am a law nerd so I take real satisfaction in giving each case that comes before us the attention that it deserves.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for a judge to have previous experience in government or politics?

The most beneficial experience when seeking a seat on the Court of Appeals is experience in front of and service on our court. I have led litigation across our state and federal court system on subject matters ranging from property to worker's compensation to constitutional law. This includes leading litigation before the state Court of Appeals on which I now serve as well as before the Supreme Court of the United States.

This experience has proven invaluable to me in my year and a half on the Court of Appeals. I practiced in many of the subject matter areas that come before our Court. And I am familiar with appellate litigation and procedure, meaning I am not learning the rules of the road all at once. That experience, as well as my rigor and independence, shines through in the more than 85 opinions I have authored as a member of the Court of Appeals.

One thing that I am not is a politician. I have never sought political office before running to keep my seat on the Court of Appeals this year. I firmly believe that our job is to check politics at the courthouse steps and rule without fear or favor based on the facts and law.

What is your primary concern about today's legal system in your state?

My primary concern about the legal system in our state today is the pandemic. COVID-19 makes everything from visiting the courthouse to empaneling juries more challenging.

This is also a moment for seeking out silver linings in my opinion. At the Court of Appeals, we moved quickly to respond to the pandemic, conducting essential court business remotely wherever possible. For instance, I have been a part of three virtual oral argument panels since the pandemic. These virtual oral arguments allow us to keep the work of our Court moving forward and are also available online, allowing North Carolinians to more closely follow our work.

Though, of course, some court business must be conducted in person, there are opportunities throughout our court system for such virtual proceedings that in the present moment promote the public health. And, over the longer term, such virtual proceedings could make court more easily accessible to low-wealth North Carolinians as well as allowing the court system to more transparently conduct its business, thereby promoting public confidence in our work.

What do you consider the greatest opportunity for the legal system in your state?

We have many opportunities to promote more equal access to justice in our state. Chief Justice Cheri Beasley and the Administrative Office of the Courts recently launched Guide and File, a tool that assists attorneys, paralegals, and non-attorneys representing themselves with the online preparation of court documents. As Chief Justice Beasley said upon its launch, "Guide & File is another way that we are making our court system more efficient, more equitable and more accessible." This is but one example of how we can use technology to bring North Carolina's court system closer to all North Carolinians.

Would you be interested in serving on a higher court in the future? If so, which court appeals to you?

I am solely focused on my service on the Court of Appeals and keeping my seat on the Court.

Do you believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection of a judge’s ability?

As a general matter, yes.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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External links

• Search Google News for this topic
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• North Carolina Court of Appeals
• Biography from the ACLU of North Carolina (archived February 2019)

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