Howard Twiggs
1932-2010
Howard Twiggs began his practice in his home town of Raleigh in 1957, establishing his own firm in 1960. He later merged his firm with that of Charles Blanchard, one of the first lawyers in North Carolina to specialize in representing injury victims.
Howard primarily represented the seriously injured in personal injury, wrongful death, and professional negligence cases. He was also a principal lawyer and negotiator representing agents and managers in a fraud and deceptive trade practices case against a large national insurance company. With partner Don Strickland, he obtained one of the highest paid punitive damages awards in North Carolina for his clients in a fraud and deceptive trade practices case against Snap-on Tool Corporation.
Education
- Wake Forest University, B.S. in Business Administration,1954
- Wake Forest University School of Law, Juris Doctorate,1957
Admissions
- North Carolina, 1957
- U.S. District Court, Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of North Carolina, 1957
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, 1957
Professional Memberships
Howard’s service to the law and to his clients included working with many organizations and commissions. Perhaps his most notable national service was at the Roscoe Pound Institute in Washington, D.C., where he served as a director for 20 years and as president for two years.
Howard was a charter member of the North Carolina Chief Justice's Committee on Professionalism. For more than a decade, he was a member of the North Carolina Courts Commission. Howard was also an elected fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the International Society of Barristers and the American Board of Trial Advocacy.
Howard was listed in Best Lawyers in America and in North Carolina Super Lawyers since their first editions. In 2006 he was selected as a Top 100 North Carolina Super Lawyer by that publication. For more than 30 years, he had an AV rating—the highest peer rating attainable—by Martindale-Hubbell.
Howard achieved statewide and national recognition for his leadership skills. He was elected and served as President of the American Association for Justice (formerly The Association of Trial Lawyers of America) in 1996–97, the national organization of lawyers representing injured persons. He served as President of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice (formerly The North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers), where he was a member of the Board of Directors for 34 years. In 2008, he was elected President Emeritus of NCAJ. He also served as President of the Wake County Bar Association and of the North Carolina Tenth Judicial Bar.
Serving in State Government
Howard was elected and served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1966 to 1974, serving as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee in 1973–74. In the General Assembly, his major accomplishments included improving protection for the disabled and injured citizens of North Carolina through passage of a major revision of the state Wrongful Death Act; extending the Statute of Repose; rewriting the laws relating to mental health and removing all references to race from state laws in l969. During his time as chair of the State Building Code Committee, the North Carolina Building Code was rewritten, making buildings, sidewalks, vehicular parking, and other areas accessible to the handicapped.
Supporting Wake Forest University
Howard's love for his alma mater played an important role in his life. He served as the past president of the Wake Forest University Law Alumni Association and as chairperson of the law school's Board of Visitors. His service to the University as a whole was recognized when, in 2002, he received the Wake Forest University Distinguished Alumni Award.
Awards and Honors
Howard earned many awards including the three highest awards of the American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America). Howard was the second member of AAJ to receive all three of these awards: 2001 Leonard Ring Champion of Justice Award; 2000 Harry Philo Award for commitment to individual rights and leadership in the pursuit of justice; and 2008 David Shrager President's Award for visionary leadership, support, and service to the cause of justice.
For his service to the North Carolina Advocates for Justice (formerly the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers), his awards included the Walter Clark Award in 1986 for Extraordinary Service to Justice; Outstanding Legislator Award for 1972; and Election as President Emeritus in 2008, only the fourth member to be elected President Emeritus of NCAJ.
In l998 Howard received the War Horse Award from the Southern Trial Lawyers Association for leadership in the trial bar, teaching trial advocacy and excellence in the trial of cases for a period of over 30 years.
In 2006 he received the Frank Carrington Champion of Civil Justice Award from the National Crime Victim Bar Association, and in 2007 he received the Champion of Justice Award from the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of ABOTA.
In activities not related to the practice of law, Howard earned many awards, including the Distinguished Service Award as Young Man of the Year from the Raleigh Junior Chamber of Commerce in 1965. He also received the Lief Valland Award in 1970 from the North Carolina Mental Health Association for outstanding service to North Carolina as a leader and as a legislator in the field of Mental Health.
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