Anita Earls

Party:

Democrat

Incumbent:

Yes

Age:

Previous experience in elected office:

N.C. Supreme Court Justice (2019-present)

Occupation:

N.C. Supreme Court Justice

Description:

Earls states on her website that her concerns are upholding the rights to healthcare, basic education and a clean environment. She says she has "stood alongside people whose right to vote was denied" and has conducted extensive research on census and redistricting issues. She is known for her view on civil rights and expanding voting, while conservative critics have said she has brought an activist perspective to the bench. She dissented in the recent court ruling on the longstanding Leandro case. (The Leandro case advocated for greater public school funding from the legislature but the Supreme Court ruled the judiciary could not force the state legislature to do so. On that matter, Earls wrote, "The current Court appears unable or unwilling to meaningfully check constitutional rights violations.") In 2023, an N.C. judicial panel investigated a complaint that Earls made comments about bias in the courts that alleged to violate judicial conduct rules; the complaint was ultimately dismissed. She is endorsed by the North Carolina Association of Educators, the North Carolina AFL-CIO and former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

Review of Candidate Rulings (Source: Wake Forest University School of Law Pro Bono Project)

Associate Justice Anita Earls’ judicial philosophy is characterized by a commitment to advocating for equal justice and reforming civil rights law in North Carolina. This has resulted in a willingness to overturn long-standing practices in favor of doctrines which she perceives as more protective of marginalized communities. Furthermore, her past opinions have expressed a preference for substantive justice (i.e., whether the final outcome is fair and just versus only looking at whether the procedure that led to the final outcome was fair).

Other personal:

Earls was born in Seattle and grew up “in a mixed-race family at a time when interracial marriages were illegal in most of the country.“ She is married and lives in Durham. She has two sons and three grandchildren. Earls was a civil rights lawyer at the law firm of James Ferguson and with Julius Chambers, well-known Charlotte civil rights attorneys. She was also a lawyer for the Department of Justice in the Clinton administration. She has taught at Duke University and at the law schools of UNC Chapel Hill and the University of Maryland and is the founder of the nonprofit The Southern Coalition for Social Justice. She announced in January she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has a bachelor's from Williams College and a JD from Yale.

Candidate Website

The Election Hub Questionnaire

Please provide demographic information about yourself to help voters (age, education, current occupation, where you live).

I am 66 years old and currently living in Durham, North Carolina. I am a graduate of Williams College and Yale Law School.

Why are you running for this role and why should voters pick you? Please share your previous experience in elected office that would be relevant to voters.

I am a mother, grandmother, and the daughter of two very brave people, a black man and a white woman, who made a life together and raised a family at a time when interracial marriages were illegal where they lived and in most of the country. Growing up, I saw firsthand how the law reflects society’s moral understandings and shapes our lives. In 2006, my brother was murdered, and his attacker was never prosecuted. I know what it feels like when the legal system fails to live up to its basic promise of equal justice under the law.

I spent my 30-year career as a civil rights attorney standing with those whose rights were being violated. I tried numerous civil and criminal cases, in state and federal court, including bench trials and jury trials. In addition to litigation experience, I have served on the Equal Access to Justice Commission, was a former US DOJ Civil Rights Division leader, and founder of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.

I have served on the North Carolina Supreme Court since 2019. As a justice, my commitment is to guarantee that the Court carries out its constitutional mandate to be a check and balance for the other branches of government and protects the rights and freedoms of all — including access to healthcare, a sound basic public education, a clean environment, and the equal right to vote.

People should vote for me because I have demonstrated that I will rule without fear or favor. I am committed to ensuring that our Court puts people over profits, and that we guarantee equal justice under the law. I dissented when the Republican majority on our court ruled to end the Leandro School Funding litigation, when the Republican majority ordered that the ballots of military and overseas voters be thrown out in the Griffin/Riggs litigation, and when the Republican majority ruled that the Court has no power to stop extreme partisan gerrymandering by the legislature.

Tell us 1-2 professional accomplishments you have achieved in your work experience (not limited to public service) that give voters a sense of your leadership style or skills.

Two experiences that best represent my professional skills and leadership style are my 30 years of litigation experience as a civil rights attorney and my service on the North Carolina Supreme Court since 2018.

I was a civil rights attorney for 30 years. My litigation experience includes arguing appellate cases in state courts and in the 1st, 4th, and 11th Circuits, including winning an en banc argument in the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, writing numerous briefs for the United States Supreme Court, and serving as counsel in over 30 federal cases at the trial level, including criminal cases and civil jury trials. Having litigated in a wide variety of forums over many years, I have developed a deep appreciation for the importance of listening carefully, understanding opposing points of view, and seeking resolutions that serve everyone’s goals.

Similarly, my eight years on the Court have reinforced the importance of a strong work ethic, careful attention to the facts and the law, and an open mind. I have learned that being willing to reconsider your views and to recognize that you may not always be right are essential to sound decision-making and can ultimately make your reasoning more persuasive. In a deliberative body of seven members, maintaining the professional respect of one’s colleagues is especially important. I work diligently to maintain an appropriate judicial demeanor and to write opinions that clearly state my views about the law and not my personal views about my colleagues. Together, these experiences have shaped my leadership style as one grounded in empathy, preparedness, and understanding. They have taught me to remain focused on the task at hand while never losing sight of the real-world implications of my work or the lives of the people affected by it.

What endorsements from any notable NC organizations or people have you received?

I have been endorsed by Former Governor Roy Cooper, EMILYs List, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), NC Association of Educators, Lillian’s List, NC National Organization for Women, NC National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Pro-Choice North Carolina, North Carolina Building & Construction Trades Union, Feminist Majority, Carolina Federation, Down Home NC, Planned Parenthood Votes South Atlantic, Equality NC, Way to Lead, NC State AFL-CIO, Sierra Club NC, and the American OB-GYN PAC.

How long have you lived in the region/district where you are running for office?

I moved to North Carolina in January 1988 after graduating from law school and have lived here for most of my life. I did live in Washington, DC for five years while serving in the US Department of Justice and working at the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. I returned to the state in 2003 and have lived here ever since.

Tell us something unexpected about yourself that voters may be interested to know.

I have a wide range of interests: reading, playing the piano and guitar, playing golf, sewing, cooking, hiking, birdwatching, gardening, and, more than anything else, spending time with my three grandchildren. I have had very little time to do any of these things since joining the Court in 2019, it is a very demanding job.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an area of concern for many voters (e.g. government-run chatbots; AI-generated videos, text and images; data centers; license-plate readers; AI to hire and evaluate employees or teach students). How should elected officials in your role or others regulate AI, if you believe they should? How should elected officials in your role use AI?

The Code of Judicial Conduct strictly prohibits me from commenting on specific policies or matters that may come before the Court, so I will not offer an opinion on how AI should be regulated at large. The NC Administrative Office of the Courts has begun issuing guidance on the use of AI in the Court system, but much more can be done to ensure the process is inclusive and transparent for everyone, judges and litigants included. In my chambers, I have a strict policy of never using AI to write my opinions. We also have policies in my chambers regarding the use of AI for legal research to ensure that AI-generated information is double-checked for accuracy. I think that candidates for judicial office should not use AI in their political communications because it further misleads the public.