Mark Allen Davis (born October 25, 1966)[1] is an American attorney and jurist. He has served as an associate justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court (2019-2020) and previously as a Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Davis currently serves as Special Superior Court Judge for Complex Business Cases on the North Carolina Business Court.[2]

Mark A. Davis
Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court
In office
April 8, 2019 – December 31, 2020
Appointed byRoy Cooper
Preceded byCheri Beasley
Succeeded byTamara Barringer
Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals
In office
January 1, 2013 – March 11, 2019
Appointed byBev Perdue
Preceded byCheri Beasley
Succeeded byReuben Young
Personal details
Born
Mark Allen Davis

(1966-10-25) October 25, 1966 (age 57)
Jacksonville, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materUniversity of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill
(BA, JD)
Duke University School of Law (LLM)

Education and early career edit

Following receipt of his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davis earned his J.D. degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law where he was a member of the North Carolina Law Review.[3] He served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Franklin Dupree in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.[4] From 2006 until 2011, Davis was a special deputy attorney general. He also spent 13 years in private practice.[5]

Judicial experience edit

Davis was appointed by Governor Bev Perdue to serve as a Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals, taking office in January 2013. He was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by Judge Cheri Beasley's appointment to the North Carolina Supreme Court. Davis served as Gov. Perdue's General Counsel for the last two years of her term in office.

On March 11, 2019, Governor Roy Cooper appointed Davis to again fill a seat left vacant by Cheri Beasley. After Gov. Cooper appointed Beasley as Chief Justice, he appointed Davis to fill her seat as an associate justice of the Supreme Court.[6] In the 2020 general election, Davis lost his bid for a full term on the Supreme Court. In 2021, Governor Cooper nominated Davis for a special superior court judgeship, subject to confirmation by both houses of the state legislature.[7]

Electoral history edit

2020 edit

North Carolina Supreme Court (Seat 4) election, 2020[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tamara Barringer 2,746,362 51.21%
Democratic Mark Davis (incumbent) 2,616,265 48.79%
Total votes 5,362,627 100%
Republican gain from Democratic

2014 edit

North Carolina Court of Appeals (Davis seat) election, 2014[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Mark Davis (incumbent) 1,354,647 58.77%
Nonpartisan Paul Holcombe 950,300 41.23%
Total votes 2,304,947 100%

Writings edit

  • A Warren Court of Our Own: The Exum Court and the Expansion of Individual Rights in North Carolina (Carolina Academic Press 2019)[10]

References edit

  1. ^ Official NC Court of Appeals Biography
  2. ^ "Mark A. Davis | North Carolina Judicial Branch".
  3. ^ Press release: Gov. Perdue Today Announced Four Judicial Appointments. Accessed January 2, 2013.
  4. ^ Press release: Governor Perdue Appoints New Advisers. Accessed January 2, 2013.
  5. ^ WRAL: Outgoing NC Governor appoints 4 new judges
  6. ^ Gov. Cooper Names Supreme Court Associate Justice
  7. ^ Press release: Governor Cooper Nominates Four Special Superior Court Judges
  8. ^ "11/03/2020 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  9. ^ "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  10. ^ Duke Law School: Justice Mark A. Davis LLM’18 started a thesis and ended up with a book

External links edit

Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals
2013–2019
Succeeded by
Preceded by Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court
2019–2020
Succeeded by