Robert E. Harrington and Mark W. Merritt Appointed to NC Commission on the Administration of Law and Justice

Robert E. Harrington and Mark W. Merritt, attorneys with Robinson Bradshaw, were appointed to the newly-created North Carolina Commission on the Administration of Law and Justice by Chief Justice Mark D. Martin. Harrington will be a member of the Civil Justice Committee, and Merritt will serve on the Legal Professionalism Committee.

“These respected and innovative leaders will provide the direction necessary in this era of change, ensuring that the justice system works for all,” Chief Justice Martin said. “They bring with them decades of experience in the state and federal judiciaries, business and nonprofit communities, legal education and private practice.”

The commission will undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the state’s justice system and make recommendations for strengthening the courts within the existing administrative framework, focusing on five areas: civil justice, criminal investigation and adjudication, legal professionalism, public trust and confidence, and technology.

“I am excited to be a part of Chief Justice Martin’s efforts to improve the delivery of legal services in North Carolina,” Harrington said.

At Robinson Bradshaw, Harrington represents clients in business disputes with a focus on the defense of consumer lenders and the representation of fiduciaries. He graduated magna cum laude from Duke University, where he was an Angier B. Duke Memorial Scholar. He attended Duke Law School and graduated with high honors. Harrington was the 2012-13 president of the Mecklenburg County Bar.

“I am honored to be asked to fill this important role,” Merritt said, “and I look forward to working with Chief Justice Martin and the other members of the commission.”

Merritt’s practice covers a broad range of business-related litigation, including antitrust, complex and class action, and shareholder litigation. He was a Phi Beta Kappa and a John Motley Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before earning his law degree from the University of Virginia, where he was the editor-in-chief of Virginia Law Review. Merritt currently serves as vice president of the North Carolina State Bar.