The North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission is pleased to announce the appointment of Carolyn Dubay as its new executive director. She comes to the Commission with 20 years of legal experience as a litigator, judicial employee, and academic.

"Serving as the executive director of the Judicial Standards Commission fulfills my desire to commit myself fully to both promoting public confidence in the courts and serving as a trusted resource for North Carolina's judges on issues relating to judicial ethics," said Dubay.

The executive director works closely with the Commission Chair, Judge Wanda Bryant of the Court of Appeals, and the Commission staff to ensure that complaints against judges are reviewed and brought before the Commission and that meritorious complaints are fully investigated. The role is not just about processing complaints, but about working with judges and reaching out to other agencies and organizations in the state to work collaboratively.

"Public confidence in our courts isn't about just one organization's work," said Dubay. "It is about a collective commitment to maintaining integrity and fairness in the administration of justice in North Carolina. This is a mission that everyone should embrace and be proud of, and I couldn't be more honored by the opportunity to be a part of it."

Most of Dubay's career has centered on litigating in state and federal courts and working in the federal judiciary. After receiving her law degree, she served as a law clerk to a federal district judge and then joined the law firm Hunton & Williams, working in both North Carolina and Virginia as a civil litigator. After the birth of her twin daughters, she decided to leave private practice to work for the federal courts, where she worked for the Administrative Office of the United States Courts and the Federal Judicial Center. From 2007 to 2008, she served as a Judicial Fellow at the Supreme Court of the United States, where she worked in the Office of the Counselor to the Chief Justice of the United States. Dubay also has over three years of academic experience and has taught constitutional law, First Amendment, judicial policy, U.S. Supreme Court practice, and comparative constitutional law.

Bearing out her commitment to the administration of justice, Dubay also serves on the Executive Committee of the ABA Judicial Division Lawyers Conference, and serves on the board of Justice Initiatives, Inc., a North Carolina non-profit organization dedicated to providing programs that enhance the public's knowledge of and experience with the North Carolina courts. She also served on the National Advisory Council of the American Judicature Society.

On a personal note, Dubay is glad to be returning to Raleigh for good after many moves with her husband's career in the United States Air Force. She first came to North Carolina to attend Duke University as an undergraduate student, then returned to practice in Raleigh during her husband's military assignment in Fayetteville. She finally returned to North Carolina to teach law in 2012 after his retirement from active duty, and says that "this is home now." Dubay also looks forward to introducing her twin daughters, now in 6th grade, to all of the interesting things that Raleigh and the greater RTP area have to offer.