- By Josephine Tetteh
Within seconds of speaking with attorney James W. Narron of Johnston County, it is apparent why he deserves the honor of being a Citizen Lawyer. He is simultaneously gracious, witty and compellingly humble about his work.
The North Carolina Bar Association honored Narron for extraordinary service to the community outside of the legal profession as one of its 12 Citizen Lawyer Award recipients at the 2009 Annual Meeting in Asheville.
Despite his numerous and remarkable accomplishments, Narron is immune to his own achievements and sees himself as an ordinary citizen, “I don’t think I’ve had many accomplishments. I’ve just gone out there and done what I was supposed to.”
Among his inspirations is a note on his desk given to him in college by his mother, invoking the words of Daniel Webster: “A man can never gallop over the fields of law on Pegasus, nor fly across them on the wing of oratory. If he would stand on terra firma, he must first descend. If he would be a great lawyer, he must first consent to become a great drudge.”
Practicing in Smithfield at Narron, O’Hale and Whittington for more than 30 years, his practice areas include estate planning and administration, commercial and residential real estate, and taxation. Narron worked very hard to be where he is – “at least the first 10 years of my practice, I was at my desk working at 5 a.m. every weekday morning. All three of the senior partners here still work on Saturdays and on many Sundays. We are probably the personification of ‘drudge.’”
Narron describes his career choice as “a duck falling into water.” After over 30 years, he describes “dealing with clients” as the most satisfying aspect of the practice of law. He worries about trends where law graduates rush to large cities. Nonetheless, he remains hopeful about the practice of law and cautions young and upcoming lawyers not to avoid small towns: “If you have an entrepreneurial spirit you can be a good lawyer, even a great one, in a small town.”
Even with a busy law practice, Narron always finds ways to serve his community and to stay involved. He continues to serve on numerous boards including the Johnston Community College Board of Trustees. He is presently chairman of the board of directors of the North Carolina Community Foundation, a statewide charity with a presence in over 65 counties.
Narron is passionate about his community.
“You owe it to your community to give back and it is the most satisfying thing you’ll do with the special skill of being a lawyer,” Narron said.
His community activities have been widely recognized. For instance, he is a 2006 recipient of the Gertrude S. Carraway Award of Merit for Outstanding Achievement in Historic Preservation and a 2006 local Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award recipient, an uncommon community honor.
Notwithstanding his many accomplishments, Narron is honored by his selection as a Citizen Lawyer: “recognition by your fellows in the bar is a high compliment.”
Provided by the Young Lawyers Division of the North Carolina Bar Association in conjunction with the Citizen Lawyer Task Force in recognition of recipients of the 2009 Citizen Lawyer Awards. The awards were presented on Friday, June 26, at the NCBA Annual Meeting in Asheville.
