Donna received her B.A. degree magna cum laude from Montclair State College in May, 1985 and her Juris Doctorate from Washington & Lee University School of Law in May, 1988. She is the past Chairperson of the Children’s Issues Committee of the Family Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association, the past Chairperson of the Orange County's Family Lawyers' Association, the past Secretary/Treasurer of the 15-B Judicial District Bar Association and the former Chairperson of the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyer’s Family Law Section. She is currently a member of the North Carolina State Bar Association, the North Carolina Bar Association and its Family Law Section, the 15B Judicial District Bar Association, the Orange County Bar Association, North Carolina Advocates for Justice, the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys, The Academy of Family Mediators and the Triangle Collaborative Family Law Association.
Donna has also successfully advocated before the Supreme Court of North Carolina and prevailed for her clients in the following cases:
• In the Matter of the Adoption of P.E.P., 407 S.E.2d 505, 329 N.C. 692 (N.C., 1991) – The Supreme Court held that violations by adoptive parents and their attorney of statute prohibiting any fee or compensation for placing or arranging adoption of child, together with numerous other irregularities in adoption case, invalidated adoption proceeding; and
• Petersen v. Rogers, 445 S.E.2d 901, 337 N.C. 397 (N.C., 1994) – The Supreme Court held that (1) natural parents’ constitutionally protected paramount right to custody, care and control of their child outweighed interests of a married couple seeking to adopt the child, and (2) a married couple seeking to adopt the child had no right to visitation or to file action requesting visitation period.
Donna has a true passion for being a family law attorney and describes her career as follows:
“For me, being a family law attorney is not just a job. It is who I am. I think about cases in the middle of the night. And I’m often jumping out of the shower to jot down a note about a client’s case. The reward for me is seeing people become their best selves. It’s a long road, but I enjoy helping people rebuild their lives; helping them find a place of stability and health. Whether it’s mediation, litigation, or some combination, we are as creative as possible – working for our clients’ best interest and to guide them to a place of wholeness.”
- Board Certified Family Law Specialist
- Certified Family Financial Mediator by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission
- Certified Collaborative Lawyer
- Peer Review Rating by Martindale Hubble - BV Distinguished Attorney, 4.4
- Selected 2009 North Carolina Super Lawyers
