Janet Ward Black

About Janet

Janet Ward Black is the principal owner of the personal injury law firm, Ward Black Law located in Greensboro. The 36-person firm is one of the largest woman-owned law firms in our state. Ward Black Law has represented over a thousand clients in the past 4 years with client settlements of over 34 million dollars.* Ward Black Law represents people in personal injury, workers’ compensation and defective product actions. A graduate of Davidson College cum laude in economics and Duke Law School, Black served as the third woman president of the North Carolina Association of Trial Lawyers and the fourth woman president of the North Carolina Bar Association. She is only the second lawyer in history to serve as president of both organizations. The program she created while president of the 16,000 member Bar Association, ”4 ALL,“ has been used as a model in the United States and Canada for providing free legal services to the poor. Black is a frequent lawyer educator and motivational speaker. She is a Trustee Emeritus of Hood Theological Seminary and has served on many non-profit boards and on many international mission trips. She received the North Carolina State Bar’s Distinguished Service Award in 2009 and the Charles Murphy Award for public service by Duke Law School in 2010. Black has been named in North Carolina Super Lawyers, North Carolina’s Legal Elite and The Best Lawyers in America. She also retains an AVVO rating of 10, which is the highest rating that can be achieved. Black is a member of the Women’s Presidents Association and C12 Christian CEOs and Business Owners’ Group. Attorney, Ward Black Law, Greensboro, North Carolina, 2006 – presentAttorney, Donaldson & Black, P.A., Greensboro, North Carolina, 1992 – 2006Wallace Whitley Pope & Black, Salisbury, North Carolina, 1989 – 1992Assistant District Attorney for Cabarrus and Rowan Counties, 1985 – 1988 Native of Kannapolis, North Carolina1982 Graduate of Davidson College cum laude in EconomicsLunsford Richardson Honors ScholarCharles A. Cannon Scholar in Chemistry and EconomicsOmicron Delta Epsilon International Honor Society1985 Graduate of Duke University School of Law Presently Member, C12 Christian CEO and Owners Group, Greensboro, 2005 to presentMember, Women Presidents’ Organization, Greensboro, 2008 to presentBoard of Advisors, First Citizens Bank, Greensboro, 2009 to presentMaster of the Bench, Joseph Branch Inn of Court, 1995 to presentTrustee Emeritus, Hood Theological Seminary, SalisburyMember, Academy of Catastrophic Injury AttorneysVolunteer, International Cooperating Ministries – China and India, Appalachian Service Project, Save a Generation – Nicaragua and El Salvador, and Habitat for Humanity – HondurasNational Advisory Committee, Win-Win Resolutions, Inc., GreensboroMember, Plaintiffs Steering Committee, Asbestos Multidistrict Litigation, appointed by Hon. James Giles, US District Judge, Eastern District Pennsylvania 2007 – presentElder, Christian City Church, Greensboro, 2010 to presentAttorney in Greensboro, NCProfessional Organization MembershipsAmerican Bar AssociationAmerican Association for JusticeChristian Trial Lawyers AssociationNorth Carolina Bar AssociationNorth Carolina Advocates for JusticeNorth Carolina Association of Women AttorneysWomen’s Professional Forum, Greensboro Formerly President, North Carolina Bar Association 2007 – 2008(16,000 members)Board of Governors Member, American Association for Justice 2005 – 2008President-Elect, North Carolina Bar Association 2006-2007Member (2002-2005) and Co-Chair (2005), Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation Advisory PanelPresident, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers 2002-2003 (3900 members)Chair, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers Political Action Committee 2004-2006Co-Chair, Access to Justice Campaign Statewide, Legal Aid of North Carolina– Triad Division 2006-2010Trustee, Roscoe Pound Foundation 2006- 2007Board of Directors, Mercy Mission Teams, Greensboro 2000 – 2010Trustee, Hood Theological Seminary, Salisbury, NC 2000-2008Co-chair, NC Access to Justice Campaign for Legal Services of North Carolina 2006Board Member, NC Center for Entrepreneurship, 2010 to 2014, University of North Carolina at GreensboroAdvisory Panel Member, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Greensboro 2002-2009Board of Directors Member, Volunteer Center of Greensboro 2001-2005Board of Directors Member, Women’s Resource Center of GreensboroChair, Strategic Planning Committee, North Carolina Bar Association, 2001-2002President-Elect, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2001-2002Legislative Vice President, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2000-2001Chair, Litigation Section of the North Carolina Bar Association (1900 members)Member, Long Range Planning Committee, NCBA and Chair of Subcommittee on Image and Leadership 2000-2001Steering Committee Member, NC Institute of Government Judicial Education FundBoard of Governors and Executive Committee Member, North Carolina Bar Association 1998-2001Vice-President of Membership, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers 1998-2000Co-Chair, PAC Task Force, Association of Trial Lawyers of America 1998-1999Co-Chair, NC Access to Justice Campaign for Legal Services of North CarolinaCo-Chairman, Ethics Committee, Litigation Section, North Carolina Bar AssociationMember, Task Force on Women in the Profession, NCBAMember, Rules Committee, NC Business CourtBoard Member, Vice-Chair, Chair, Presbyterian Counseling Center, 1993-1997Rowan County Bar Association, President 1992, President Elect 1990 – 1991Rowan County Democratic Women, President 1991-92Board of Governors Member, NC Academy of Trial Lawyers 1995-1998Stewardship Campaign Co-Chairman, Fellowship Presbyterian ChurchElder and Co-Chair of Building Committee, Fellowship Presbyterian ChurchPiedmont Players Board of Governors, Rowan CountyMember, North Carolina Democratic Party Judicial Nominating CommitteeCrisis Council Shelter Board of Directors, Rowan CountyFirst Vice-Chairman 1989 – 1991, Rowan County Democratic PartyFirst Woman Member, Salisbury Rotary ClubBoard of Trustees, Rotary Foundation, Paul Harris FellowSubcommittee for Legal Profession- Member, Hobbie Center for Values and Ethics, Catawba CollegeLiaison Counsel for the State of North Carolina for Federal Court Breast Implant Litigation Noteworthy Recipient of Woman of Justice Award, North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, 2012Recipient of the Athena Award, Partnership Greensboro 2012Recipient of Duke Law School Distinguished Alumni Award for Public Service 2010Recipient of the North Carolina Bar Distinguished Service Award 2010Recipient of ”Women in Business“ Award, The Business Journal, 2009Named a ”Woman of Achievement“ by General Federation of Women’s Clubs of North Carolina 2007Named in North Carolina ”Superlawyers“ by Law & Politics Magazine 2006 - 2017 including one of the top 50 women attorneys in North Carolina 2006-2015Listed in Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers 2010, 2011Rated with a AV Preeminent Rating in Martindale-Hubbell’s American Registry of Lawyers (20 years)Named in”North Carolina Legal Elite“ by Business North Carolina 2007, 2010Named in ”Best Lawyers in America“ 2007-2017Named a ”2008 Impact Law Leader“ by Triad Business Leader Magazine1980 Miss North Carolina and recipient of Grand Talent Award at 1981 Miss America PageantRecipient of N.C. Jaycees Award of Excellence, 1980Recipient of ”Outstanding Community Leaders of America“ – 1987Ward Black Law listed in ”Best Law Firms in America“ by U.S. News & World Report 2010-2016Motivational speaker to over fifty civic, community and youth organizations since 1985Girls’ State Speaker on the Judiciary and Law as a Profession for Women since 1989Continuing Legal Education speaker since 1989 for North Carolina Bar Association, Wake Forest University, and North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers

Practice Areas

Education

• Duke University, graduated 1985

Languages