The Court of Appeals has named Daniel M. Horne Jr. as Clerk of Court effective November 1. Horne will succeed John Connell, who has served as Clerk of Court for more than 25 years.

Since 2008, Horne has served the court as both Administrative Counsel and Assistant Director of the Office of Staff Counsel. He became Assistant Director of Staff Counsel in 1999 after serving as a member of Staff Counsel beginning in 1993. Horne also served as law clerk for Judge (later Chief Judge) Gerald Arnold from 1990 to 1992.

Chief Judge Linda McGee stated, "Dan Horne has assisted three Chief Judges of the Court over the past 16 years in addressing thousands of motions and has acquired significant practical knowledge of the role of the Court of Appeals in managing the appeals process, in addition to the roles of the trial court, the court reporters, the Attorney General's Office, and the Appellate Defender's Office. Our court is truly fortunate to have such an exceptionally well-trained and well-prepared new Clerk of Court to lead the important work of our clerk's office and its hard-working staff."

"I have served the court since 1990 in several different positions. Each role has progressively provided me the opportunity to learn about the different aspects of the court and to broaden my understanding of the court's mission," Horne said. "As a law clerk, I gained experience in researching and helping draft opinions, learning firsthand the roles of law clerks and executive assistants in assisting their judge with their case load. As a staff attorney, I refined my research and writing skills, learned more about providing recommendations, and drafting proposed orders for various petitions for relief filed with the court."

Horne is a graduate of Campbell University and received his law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law. He has been licensed to practice law in North Carolina for 25 years and has served on the Appellate Rules Committee of the N.C. Bar Association since 2009.