Candidate for NC Court of Appeals, Republican Valerie Zachary, answers our questions
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Candidates for NC Court of Appeals seat 14
Democrat Ed Eldred is running against Republican incumbent Valerie Zachary. Get to know the candidates with our 2024 NC Voter Guide.
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To help inform voters about the Nov. 5, 2024, election, this candidate questionnaire is available to be republished by local publications in North Carolina without any cost. Please consider subscribing to The News & Observer to help make this coverage possible.
Name: Valerie Zachary
District/seat: NC Court of Appeals seat 14
Political party: Republican
Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 62
Campaign website: reelectjudgezachary.com
Current occupation: Judge, North Carolina Court of Appeals
Professional experience: • Judge, North Carolina Court of Appeals (Raleigh, NC) 2015–present • Zachary Law Offices (Yadkinville, NC) • Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman (now K&L Gates) (Charlotte, NC) • Research Assistant, Harvard Law School (Cambridge, MA)
Education: • Harvard Law School: J.D. cum laude • Michigan State University: B.A. with honors, Multidisciplinary Program with concentrations in French, Economics, and Political Science
Please list any notable government or civic involvement. • Vice President, NC Bar Association • Commissioner, NC Sentencing Commission (4th term) • Member, NC Family Courts Advisory Commission • Former member, NC Governor’s School Board of Governors • NCSI-certified Healthcare Outcomes Resource Judge • Certified appellate mediator • Member, NC Supreme Court Historical Society • Presenter, myriad panels and continuing legal and judicial education programs • Former Co-Chair, Judicial Division of the NC Association of Women Attorneys
What areas of the law do you have experience in, as a judge or attorney?
Criminal, civil litigation, appellate, government/public interest, family law, insurance, labor/employment and taxes/accounting.
Other: Wills and Trusts; Probate; Estate Administration; Guardianship; Administrative Law; Real Property; Juvenile Law; Workers’ Compensation
What would be your top priority if elected?
My main objective in every case is to provide all parties with a fair and impartial tribunal for the settlement of disputes, in accordance with state and federal law.
What is your judicial philosophy?
The Court of Appeals is an error-correcting court. Accordingly, the judges of our court are tasked with interpreting and applying the law as written by our legislators, not with making law or policy. I have striven to apply the law as written in the approximately 600 opinions that I have authored during my tenure on the bench. These opinions are available for your review at nccourts.org.
Appellate courts often have to consider weighty constitutional issues with widespread public interest. How do you approach legal issues that have strong partisan divides?
As a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals, I apply the law as written to every case before me, regardless of partisan divides.
The NC Code of Judicial Conduct has not been updated since 2020. Do you think any changes to the code or its enforcement are necessary?
The Code of Judicial Conduct is promulgated by the North Carolina Supreme Court, and the General Assembly determines the composition of the Judicial Standards Commission. The Court of Appeals has no authority to revise the Code.
Public opinion polls show that Americans’ trust in the U.S. Supreme Court is near an all-time low. What should be done in NC to increase/maintain confidence in our state’s appellate courts?
Public confidence in the courts increases when the courts apply the law fairly to all, and when outcomes are reasonably predictable based on a plain reading of the law. Regardless of party affiliation, the judges on the North Carolina Court of Appeals should work together to fulfill the mission of this error-correcting court—which is to apply the law and not to create law or policy. This is our duty as public servants to the citizens of North Carolina.
