Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

I am seeking one of the three open seats for Superior Court Judge in Durham County.  The top three vote-getters in Judicial District 14B (Durham County) will be elected to the position of Superior Court Judge on November 2, 2010. 

I have lived in Durham for over 40 years.  I attended Durham City schools and received my undergraduate degree in History from Duke University in 1978.  I received my law degree from UNC in 1982, graduating magna cum laude in the top 10% of my law class.  I started my career in Durham as a solo practitioner, and in 1983 was hired as a staff attorney with East Central Community Legal Services in Raleigh.  In 1984 I became an Assistant Public Defender for the 12th Judicial District, serving Hoke and Cumberland counties.  In 1987 I returned to Durham as an associate with Pulley, Watson, King, and Hofler.  In 1990 I became a partner in that firm, and now serve as the Managing Partner of Pulley, Watson, King, and Lischer.

I am a member of the Durham and North Carolina Bar Associations, the American Association for Justice, and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice.  I have served on the Board of Directors of the Durham County Bar Association, and the local Grievance and Medical Legal Committees of the State Bar.  I have served on the boards of several area non-profits, including The Durham Council for Senior Citizens.  (My website www.mikeoforjudge.com contains a link to my complete C.V.)

I have the legal experience necessary to serve the people of Durham and North Carolina as a Superior Court Judge.  As a practicing attorney for over 27 years, I have tried criminal Superior Court cases in Cumberland, Hoke, and Durham counties.  I have tried civil Superior Court cases in these counties and others, from New Hanover in the east to Scotland and Robeson in the south to Buncombe and Yancey in the west.  I have handled approximately a dozen multi-week civil Superior Court cases as co-counsel with other partners in my law firm.  I have also been involved as co-counsel in complex civil litigation in dozens of cases involving many hundreds of depositions.

These cases have stretched over a course of years, and have often settled with a stipulation of confidentiality by the defense.  I am familiar with complex civil cases involving multiple defendants and numerous expert witnesses, from filing through discovery, pre-trial motions, mediation, trial, and post-trial motions, and believe my experience in these types of cases will help me be an effective Superior Court Judge.

I have an "AV" rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the nationwide confidential peer review rating service (my profile is available here).

I have a reputation for fairness, tolerance, and honesty among my peers in the Durham Bar.  Over a hundred lawyers practicing or living in Durham with over ten years of experience support my candidacy for one of the three open seats for Superior Court Judge.  These attorneys include solo practitioners, members of large firms, plaintiff's lawyers, defense lawyers, and criminal law practitioners.  This list includes those aligned with both political parties, and lawyers who have never appeared on the same side of any case with me.  I believe this demonstrates that I have a reputation with the Bar as a diligent and honorable attorney who would, as a Judge, give a fair hearing to attorneys and litigants across the board.