Wade Barber - Public Service

Public Service

Judge Barber has been dedicated to community leadership and public service throughout his career, and he has helped lead many organizations around North Carolina. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Golden LEAF Foundation and the North Carolina Environmental Defense Fund. Judge Barber has long held an interest in environmental issues in North Carolina and he accepted a nomination to join the EDF board in 2006.

In 1984, Judge Barber was named Chairman of the North Carolina Task Force on Dispute Resolution. Under his leadership, that group recommended the establishment of court mediation, court-based arbitration, and community-based dispute settlement center programs that revolutionized dispute resolution in North Carolina. From 1985-1988, Judge Barber served on the Board of Governors of the North Carolina Bar Association. Also with the Bar Association, Judge Barber served as Co-Chair of the Centennial Committee (1997–1999) and the Judicial Independence Committee (2006–2010), worked on the Quality of Life Task Force (1989–1991), the Nominating Committee (1994–1995) and the Commission on Public Trust and the Legal Profession (1992–1994).

Judge Barber served as Chairman of the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission from 1981-1985. With his direction, the commission initiated a comprehensive study of the activities of law enforcement, which led to the redesign of the basic law enforcement training course and a doubling of the number of hours required for certification.

Twice, from 1981–1984 and again from 1993–1998, Judge Barber served on the North Carolina Courts Commission. During his second term, he served as Chairman of the Committee on the Structure of the Courts. His leadership led to legislation directing the North Carolina Supreme Court to develop a Case Flow Management Plan in 1995. The committee also initiated studies of the jury process.

He has also served on the North Carolina Criminal Code Commission (1979–1981), as President of the District 15B Bar Association (1989–1990), as Councilor (1995–1998) and as a member of the Ethics Committee (1995–1999, 2006–2007) for the North Carolina State Bar, as Chairman of the State Board of Continuing Legal Education (1990–1992), as a Committee Chairman on the Governor’s Task Force on Drunk Driving (1982–1983), on the Commission on Alternatives to Incarceration (1980–1983), on the Chief Justice’s Advisory Committee on Court Personnel (1981), on the North Carolina News Media/Administration of Justice Council (1980–1982), as President of the North Carolina District Attorney’s Association (1981–1982), on the Alumni Association Board of Directors at the University of North Carolina School of Law (1996–2002), and as an Advisor to the North Carolina Commission on the Future of the Courts (1995–1997).

Judge Barber has also held leadership positions in the Chatham County Democratic Party (Chairman, 1975–1977; Precinct Chairman, 1973–1975), the 4th Congressional District Democratic Party (Chairman, 1976–1977), and the Pittsboro Presbyterian Church (Deacon, 1979–1982; Elder, 1982–1984).

From 1968-1976, Judge Barber served in the United States Army Reserve, where he obtained the rank of Lieutenant.