President Donald Trump has nominated Richard E. Myers, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Professor of Law and Director of Trial Advocacy, to fill a vacancy in North Carolina’s Eastern District that’s existed since Jan. 1, 2006. Myers, age 51, earned his law degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1998 and joined the UNC law faculty in 2004.

Myers was born in Kingston, Jamaica and immigrated to Wilmington as a child. A two-time graduate of UNC, he earned his B.A., summa cum laude, his M.A. from UNC at Wilmington, and his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of North Carolina Law School.

He was an articles editor at the university’s North Carolina Law Review. Myers also worked for the Wilmington-Star News. One of the biggest stories he covered while at the newspaper was the murder of James Jordan, father of the legendary basketball player, Michal Jordan.

Myers served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit as a law clerk to Judge David Sentelle. He also clerked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of North Carolina, receiving the Outstanding Service Award from the U.S. Dept. of Justice. He also served in the Central District of California United States Attorney’s offices. As a federal prosecutor, Myers presided over cases involving firearms, counterfeiting and narcotics.

Myers was in private practice at the law offices of O’Melveny & Myers. Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) both applauded the nomination, citing Myers’ extensive federal experience and his reputation as one of the state’s most notable legal scholars.

Photo Source: Steve Exum-UNC School of Law