We are proud to announce Lincoln Derr attorney Gwendolyn W. Lewis has been named to the 2019 list of Leaders in the Law by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly.  The Leaders in the Law award honors legal professionals licensed and practicing law in the state of North Carolina, who have gone above and beyond in their profession and community. Gwendolyn joins a select group of the most influential individuals within our state's legal community. This year's honorees will be recognized at a reception in Greensboro, North Carolina on October 25th.

Gwendolyn Lewis is challenging traditional notions of what it means to lead and when one may be deemed a leader by their colleagues. "My own standards for success don't stop in the four walls of my office; I want to create an impact where impact is needed, and I will continue to serve and lead in capacities that allow me the opportunity to do just that."

Her leadership roles throughout the community and Bar are numerous and lay the foundation for a modern Leader in the Law. These roles, beyond her full-time employment as a Labor and Employment and civil litigation attorney, have always been the prominent manner in which she has demonstrated leadership on behalf of and before members of the legal profession and community. 

She currently serves as one of the youngest members of the North Carolina Bar Association's Board of Governors and its Foundation Board of Directors, while also serving as a Board of Directors member for the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, a nonprofit which provides legal services directly to people in the Charlotte, NC region that cannot afford legal services, but desperately need them. 

She leads the NCBA's Labor and Employment Section Pro Bono Committee, where she has been charged with creating pro bono opportunities throughout the state. This year, Gwendolyn will launch an inaugural pro bono program allowing labor and employment lawyers to "bring the law to the people" – an initiative that will create pop-up locations for labor and employment attorneys to provide counsel and guidance on-site to State residents in need of legal advice.

To assist with expanding the reach of legal services to members of our community without transportation access, Gwendolyn served as member of the NCBA/American Bar Association Joint Task Force to launch the program "Free Legal Answers" in our state, offering a user friendly, web-based platform for the public to post and lawyers to answer law-related questions. 

In addition to the leadership roles above, she serves as one of only two statewide site chairs for the NCBA 4ALL Statewide Day of Service event, where annually more than 9,000 calls are answered by volunteer attorneys, providing free legal advice to North Carolina residents. 

While still early in her legal career, Gwendolyn's commitment to family, career, the legal profession, and the greater North Carolina community is unparalleled. She brings generosity and energy to her work, both personally and professionally, which necessarily enriches her community and her firm.

Bravo, Gwendolyn! You embody the qualities the Leaders in the Law award was designed to acknowledge.