Chief Justices – NC Supreme Court

Simply click on a portrait for detailed information about each Chief Justice.

Maurice Victor Barnhill

Barnhill, Victor

1 Feb. 1954 - 21 Aug. 1956

Cheri L. Beasley

Beasley, Cheri

12 Feb. 2019 - 2020

Rhoda Bryan Billings

Billings, Rhoda

3 Sep. 1986 - 25 Nov. 1986

William Haywood Bobbitt

Bobbitt, William H.

13 Nov. 1969 - 1974

Joseph Branch

Branch, Joseph

1 Aug. 1979 - 1 Sep. 1986

Walter McKenzie Clark

Clark, Walter

1903 - 19 May 1924

Emery Byrd Denny

Denny, Emery B.

9 Mar. 1962 - 4 Feb. 1966

William Augustus Devin

Devin, William

14 Sep. 1951 - 30 Jan. 1954

James G. Exum

Exum, James G.

26 Nov. 1986 - 31 Dec. 1994

William Turner Faircloth

Faircloth, William

1894 - 30 Dec. 1900

Henry Frye

Frye, Henry

7 Sep. 1999 - 2 Jan. 2000

David M Furches

Furches, David

5 Jan. 1901 - 1903

Leonard Henderson

Henderson, Leonard

13 Aug. 1829 - 13 Aug. 1833

Hoke, William

2 Jun. 1924 - 16 Mar. 1925

I. Beverly Lake Jr.

Lake, I. Beverly Jr

3 Jan. 2001 - 30 Jan. 2006

Mark D Martin

Martin, Mark D.

31 Aug. 2014 - 31 Jan. 2019

Augustus S Merrimon

Merrimon, Augustus

16 Nov. 1889 - Nov. 1892

Burley Baynard Mitchell Jr

Mitchell, Burley

3 Jan. 1995 - 1 Sep. 1999

Frederick Nash

Nash, Frederick

30 Dec. 1852 - 5 Dec. 1858

Newby, Paul

2021-present

Robert Hunt Parker

Parker, R. Hunt

5 Jan. 1966 - 10 Nov. 1969

Sarah Elizabeth Parker

Parker, Sarah

6 Feb. 2006 - 31 Aug. 2014

Richmond Mumford Pearson

Pearson, Richmond

1 Aug. 1858 - 5 Jan. 1878

Thomas Ruffin

Ruffin, Thomas

30 Dec. 1833 - 10 Nov. 1852

Susie Marshall Sharp

Sharp, Susie

2 Jan. 1975 - 31 Jul. 1979

James E Shepherd

Shepherd, James E.

16 Nov. 1892 - Nov. 1893

William Nathan Harrell Smith

Smith, W. H. N.

14 Jan. 1878 - 14 Nov. 1889

William Parker Stacy

Stacy, Walter

17 Mar. 1925 - 13 Sep. 1951

John Louis Taylor

Taylor, John Louis

5 Jan. 1819 - 29 Jan. 1829

John Wallace Winbourne

Winborne, J. Wallace

21 Aug. 1956 - 8 Mar. 1962