RALEIGH — Campbell Law School alumnus C. Colon Willoughby ’79 was installed as president of the North Carolina State Bar on Oct. 24, 2019, at the organization’s annual dinner. He was sworn in by North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley.
Willoughby, a partner in McGuire Woods Raleigh Government Investigations and White Collar Litigation Department, was installed as vice president of the North Carolina State Bar on Oct. 26, 2017. In addition to being a state bar officer, he previously was a member of the organization’s governing council. While serving on the council, he chaired the Authorized Practice Committee and was vice chairman of the Grievance Committee.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as president of the state bar and to work with colleagues across North Carolina to ensure we maintain a fair and ethical system of justice,” Willoughby said in a release.
Willoughby joined McGuireWoods in 2014 after a 27-year career as Wake County’s district attorney. He has served as president of the Wake County Academy of Trial Lawyers, director of the Wake County Bar Association, president of the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys and a member of the National District Attorney’s Association board of directors. Willoughby is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers.
“Colon has made important contributions to the legal community throughout his career in public service and private practice and his leadership will be a tremendous asset for the North Carolina State Bar,” said J. Tracy Walker IV, McGuireWoods’ managing partner, in a release.
Prior to joining McGuireWoods, he worked as a mortgage banker, as a member of the faculty at Peace College, as a private practitioner and served as the elected district attorney in Wake County for 27 years. Willoughby has been extensively involved in the community. He has served on the Board of Governors of Summit House Inc.; as director of Artspace Inc.; as a member of the Raleigh Rotary Club;, on the Triangle YMCA Board of Directors and on the Board of Directors for NCLEAF. He also is an active member of White Memorial Presbyterian Church, where he serves as an Elder.
In addition to earning his J.D. from Campbell Law, Willoughby earned an undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an MBA from East Carolina University.