Tricia Shields

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Tricia Shields

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Wake Forest University, 1982

Law

University of North Carolina School of Law, 1985

Personal

Birthplace

Elizabeth City, N.C.

Religion

Christian

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Personal Twitter

Tricia Shields (Democratic Party) ran for election for the Seat 4 judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

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

Shields was a 2014 judicial candidate for the North Carolina Court of Appeals in North Carolina.

Biography

Shields was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. She earned a bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University in 1982 and her law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1985. Shields' professional experience includes serving as a law clerk with the North Carolina Court of Appeals. She worked with litigation firm Bailey and Dixon, international law firm Troutman Sanders, LLP, and litigation firm Hedrick, Gardener, Kincheloe, and Garofalo. Shields' has also served as an adjunt faculty member at the Campbell Law School, teaching trial advocacy. She has been associated with the Wake County Bar Association and the North Carolina Bar Association. Shields also served as a member of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys and acted as its president from 2011 to 2012.

Elections

2020

See also: North Carolina intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

General election

General election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 4

April C. Wood defeated Tricia Shields in the general election for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 4 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		April C. Wood (R)	51.8	2,767,469
		Tricia Shields (D)	48.2	2,577,013

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,344,482
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Tricia Shields advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 4.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. April C. Wood advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 4.

2014

See also: North Carolina judicial elections, 2014
Shields ran for election to the North Carolina Court of Appeals.
General: She was defeated in the general election on November 4, 2014, after receiving 3.4 percent of the vote. She competed against Marion R. Warren, Chuck Winfree, John Marsh Tyson, Elizabeth Davenport Scott, Jody Newsome, Marty Martin, Hunter Murphy, Keischa Lovelace, Ann Kirby, Abraham P. Jones, Sabra Jean Faires, Daniel Patrick Donahue, J. Brad Donovan, Lori G. Christian, Jeffrey M. Cook, Betsy Bunting, John S. Arrowood and Valerie Johnson Zachary.  

Education

Shields received a B.A. in English from Wake Forest University in 1982 and a J.D. from the University of North Carolina Law School in 1985.

Career

• 1987-Present: Attorney in private practice

• Currently a partner at Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo

• 1985-1987: Law clerk to judge R.A. (Fred) Hedrick, North Carolina Court of Appeals

Awards and associations

Awards

• 2013: Ranked in General Commercial Litigation, Chambers USA
• 2012: Woman of Justice Award, North Carolina Lawyers Weekly
• Top 50 Women Attorneys, North Carolina Super Lawyers
• Top 100 Attorneys, North Carolina Super Lawyers
• Legal Elite in Litigation, Business North Carolina

Associations

• Member, North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys
  • 2011-2012: President
• Member, Wake County Bar Association
• Member, North Carolina Bar Association
• Member, American Bar Association

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Tricia Shields completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Shields' 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 am a North Carolina native, and graduated from UNC School of Law in 1985. After serving as a clerk to Chief Judge Hedrick of the North Carolina Court of Appeals, I have worked hard at becoming a recognized trial and appellate lawyer, representing individuals and businesses before every level of our State's courts.

I have been consistently been recognized as one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers and Top 100 Lawyers in North Carolina, has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2003. I received a Women of Justice Award from North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, and a Diversity and Inclusion Award from NC/SC Lawyers Weekly. I am ranked among the top 100 lawyers in North Carolina, as well as among the top 50 women lawyers. I am ranked in Chambers® and Partners and hold an AV® Preeminent™ 5 out of 5 by Martindale-Hubbell.

I have also taught Trial Advocacy at Campbell Law School since 2013, in addition to my full-time practice. I have been a leader in the Bar, serving as the President of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys from 2011-2012.

I live in Cary, with my husband, Grady. I have two sons, Will, who recently received his Masters of Social Work, and Ben, who has a Masters in Applied Economics.

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?

• Experience matters. Our Court of Appeals is a court of general jurisdiction, which considers the full range of cases decided in our trial courts. I have broad trial and appellate experience in all level of our Court system.
• I have the work ethic to do the work of the Court. Our Court of Appeals issues approximately 1,200-1,500 opinions a year. This means that each judge decides about 300 cases, and writes about 80-100 opinions each year. I have worked hard and tirelessly for my clients for 35 years, and will bring that commitment and dedication to the Court.
• I have earned a reputation for fairness and integrity. I have the highest possible ethical rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Issues of diversity and inclusion are important to me, and I was honored to recieve a Diversity and Inclusion Award from NC/SC Lawyers Weekly in 2019, the inaugural year of that award.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am personally passionate about the independence of our judiciary. Although North Carolina appellate judges are selected by partisan election, the position is distinctly nonpartisan. All judges should faithfully apply the law, consistently and fairly, to all parties, regardless of their race, religion, wealth, political affiliation, or who they love.

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

I am honest and I work very hard. I was taught as a child about the importance of honesty, and have carried that into my career as a lawyer. I advocate zealously for my clients, but I always endeavor to be respectful and kind to my opponent. I have been employed in some capacity since I was 15 years old, and have been a hardworking and dedicated lawyer, working late hours and weekends when necessary. I know that the Court of Appeals has a demanding workload, and I am up to that task.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

My legal philosophy is that the law should apply equally to all parties, and that judges should treat everyone that comes before them with fairness and respect.

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

There are many judges that I admire, but two that are at the top of my list are Judge R.A. Hedrick and Judge Linda Stephens. Despite having lost his sight at a young age, Judge Hedrick became a lawyer, a prosecutor and then served on the Court of Appeals as its Chief for many years. When I worked for Judge Hedrick he taught me by example that the role of the appellate judge is to faithfully apply the law as written, to make prompt decisions, and to write opinions that were clear, so that the parties could understand the result.

Judge Linda Stephens was the first in her family to complete high school. She also went on to college and law school, and then served as Judge Hedrick's first female law clerk. She became a Deputy Commissioner at the NC Industrial Commission, and then went on to serve as a Judge on the Court of Appeals. She is warm, generous and kind, and has been an inspiration to many others.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I am running for this seat on the Court of Appeals because I know that I have the experience that the Court needs in its judges. Court of Appeals judges must understand both the academic aspect of the law, as well as the practical ramifications of their decisions on real people. I have represented clients in our court system, including before this Court, and I am keenly aware of the significance that its work has for North Carolinians.

Additionally, it is important that we have judges with broad experience, because our Court of Appeals considers a wide range of cases. Appellate judges should have a deep working knowledge of the procedural rules, as well as the substantive areas of the law that they consider. I have handled a wide variety of cases for many years, including personal injury, professional malpractice, business disputes, civil rights cases, among many others. I have the necessary experience to evaluate those issues when they come before the Court.

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.

See also

2020 Elections

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Government

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Newsletters

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External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Tricia Shields for Court of Appeals
• The Voter Update, “19 candidates running in special election for N.C. Appeals Court seat,” August 9, 2014

Footnotes

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