The North Carolina Court of Appeals has named Eugene “Gene” Soar as clerk of court effective July 1. Clerk Soar succeeds Daniel Horne, who is retiring after over 30 years at the Court and who served as clerk of court since 2015. Clerk Soar has served as staff attorney for the Clerk of the Court of Appeals since August 2020.

“We congratulate Dan Horne on his retirement and thank him for his many years of service to the North Carolina Judicial Branch,” said Court of Appeals Chief Judge Donna Stroud. “We welcome Gene Soar to the Court in his new role as Clerk. Clerk Soar has worked with this Court in several different roles over the years, as a research assistant, in the office of the Appellate Division Staff, and in the Clerk’s office. He has extensive experience with the Court’s rules and procedures and in assisting with requests and questions from the public, attorneys, and everyone working here at the Court. We are fortunate to have his experience to continue the critical work performed by our clerk’s office and its hard-working staff.”

“I am honored to have been chosen for this position and am excited to continue working with everyone on the Court, counsel coming before the Court, and the public,” Soar said. “I will endeavor to continue the excellent service provided by Dan Horne to the Court and the citizens of North Carolina.”

Clerk Soar is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his law degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law. After graduating from law school, he served as a research assistant for Judge Wanda Bryant at the North Carolina Court of Appeals. From 2007 until joining the clerk’s office, Clerk Soar served as a staff attorney at the Office of Appellate Division. He also taught legal writing as an adjunct professor at the North Carolina Central School of Law.

Clerk Soar is married to Amanda Reeder, counsel for the North Carolina Rules Review Commission.