John Wester to Chair National Committee on Judicial Independence

The American College of Trial Lawyers has chosen John R. Wester to serve as the inaugural chair of its General Committee for Judicial Independence. The new committee will lead the College's efforts in defending the judiciary from attacks and threats and promoting its independence.

"Essential to our democracy is our citizens' abiding trust in the fair, impartial administration of justice," Wester said. "Our committee looks forward to reinforcing that trust in the days ahead."

The committee, which includes three federal judges, was formed after a College task force released a white paper in response to escalating tensions in the public arena surrounding the independent role of judges and courts. The paper, titled "The Need to Promote and Defend Fair and Impartial Courts," made a series of detailed recommendations to engage the challenges to judicial independence. Wester was vice chair of the task force.

The American College of Trial Lawyers is an invitation-only fellowship of exceptional trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds from the United States and Canada. Robinson Bradshaw has four Fellows: Martin L. Brackett Jr., A. Ward McKeithen, Mark W. Merritt and Wester.

Wester is a litigator at Robinson Bradshaw, concentrating his practice in the trials and appeals of complex civil litigation. He has prosecuted and defended numerous class action cases in both federal and state courts and has extensive experience in the North Carolina Business Court. In 2010, Wester served as president of the North Carolina Bar Association. He received the Charles S. Rhyne Award for Professional Achievement in 2017 from the Duke Law Alumni Association. Wester received his law degree with high honors from Duke University and was a John Motley Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.