Valene Franco

Valene Franco

Education

Bachelor's

Cornell University, 1995

Law

Boston College Law School, 1998

Valene Franco was a 2014 candidate for the 21st Judicial District of North Carolina.

Elections

2014

See also: North Carolina judicial elections, 2014
Franco ran for re-election to the 21st Judicial District.
Primary: She was successful in the primary on May 6, 2014, receiving 23.7 percent of the vote. She competed against Donald R. Buie, Theodore Kazakos, Andrew Keever, and Daniel B. Anthony.
General: She was defeated in the general election on November 4, 2014, after receiving 42.7 percent of the vote. She competed against Theodore Kazakos.  

Judicial performance evaluation

In July 2014, the North Carolina Bar Association released the results of a survey in which it asked lawyers to rate the judicial candidates for the trial courts. The candidates were rated from one to five on five different criteria as well as on their overall performance.

Valene Franco
Quality/Skill Rated	# of Responses	Average Rating
Integrity & Impartiality	136	4.46
Legal Ability	134	4.36
Professionalism	138	4.56
Communication	136	4.35
Administrative Skills	119	4.37
Overall Performance	137	4.41

Education

Franco received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University in 1995 and her J.D. from Boston College Law School in 1998.

Career

• 2002-Present: Legal Aid of North Carolina
• 2000-2002: Attorney, Kilpatrick Stockton (now Kilpatrick, Townsend, & Stockton)

Awards and associations

Awards

• 2014: "Martin Luther King Jr. Young Dreamers Award recipient
• 2011: North Carolina Bar Association Citizen Lawyer Award recipient
• 2000: City of White Plains Youth Bureau Office of The Mayor Making a Difference Award

Associations

• 2011-Present: Member, Reynolda Rotary Club
• 2010-Present: Board member, Authoring Action
• 2010-2011: President, Forsyth County Bar Association
• 2009-Present: Member, Leadership Winston-Salem
• 2009-2011: Organizer and volunteer, Habitat for Humanity, Forsyth County Bar Association Build
• 2008-Present: Advisory council member, Shugart Women's Center at Forsyth Tech.
• 2006-2009: Member, Forsyth County Bar Association Ethics and Grievance Committee
• 2006-2008: President, Winston-Salem Bar Association
• 2001-2003: Board of Directors, Fellowship Home of Winston-Salem
• 2000-2002: Big sister, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Forsyth County
• 2000-2002: Tutor, Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce Victory in Partnership Program

Approach to the law

“	To be an effective Judge, you have to have sufficient intelligence to understand how the law applies to the cases appearing before you... A great Judge also has to have sufficient integrity to perform the job duties with a high regard for the ethical standards required of a public servant... A good Judge must have the right temperament for the position, being able to maintain composure and decorum under even the most trying circumstances... A well-respected Judge has to be committed to justice for all litigants because you stand in judgment of their cases...	”
—Valene Franco campaign website

See also

• North Carolina counties
• North Carolina District Courts
• Judicial selection in North Carolina

External links

• Valene Franco 2014 campaign website
• Facebook, "Valene Franco for Judge"
• The North Carolina Court System

Footnotes

North Carolina courts

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Federal courts:

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina

State courts:

Supreme Court of North Carolina • North Carolina Court of Appeals • North Carolina Superior Courts • North Carolina District Courts

State resources:

Courts in North Carolina • North Carolina judicial elections • Judicial selection in North Carolina