Sarah Parker, ’64

Profile

Judge Sarah Parker joined the North Carolina Supreme Court as an Associate Justice in 1993, and served as the Chief Justice from February 2006 until August 2014 upon her retirement.

Prior to joining the Supreme Court, Judge Parker also served on the N.C. Court of Appeals. She attended Meredith College, graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with an Education degree and served with the Peace Corps in Turkey, and then earned a law degree at UNC-CH. She has served as a member and officer in numerous professional organizations, including the NC Bar Association, American Bar Association, Wake County Bar Association, Mecklenburg County Bar, NC Association of Women Attorneys, National Association of Women Judges, the Institute of Judicial Administration, the Raleigh Executives Club, the Women’s Forum of North Carolina, and others. She has also served on the Board of Visitors, UNC-Chapel Hill, the NC Courts’ Commission, as the Chief Justice’s designee to Governor’s Crime Commission and several other boards.

Judge Parker has earned many accolades, including an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Pfeiffer University, the Humanitarian Award from NC Association of Black County Officials, the Distinguished Alumni Award from UNC-CH Law School, and Judge of the Year from the NC Women Attorneys Association. She is the 2015 Woman of Achievement at Meredith College.