PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• GENERAL COUNSEL, NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

  From left to right: Dan Gurley (former Chief of Staff to Congressman Cass Ballenger), Kevin Leonard (former Director of Governmental Affairs for the North Carolina Department of Labor), Commissioner Cherie Berry, United States Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, and Barbara Jackson at a meeting to discuss North Carolina Department of Labor business with the Secretary and her staff.

  Raleigh, North Carolina February 2001 - Present

• Provide legal counsel for agency responsible for Occupational Safety and Health and Wage and Hour regulation for the state. Provide legal counsel on all personnel and policy matters and legal support for legislative agenda. Member of senior management team. Rulemaking coordinator for the agency. Interface with Department of Justice attorneys responsible for agency litigation.
  
  
• ASSOCIATE, HOLT YORK MCDARRIS, LLP
  Raleigh North Carolina January 1997 - December 2000
  • Land use, real property and litigation practice. Represent developers, property owners in municipal rezonings and other land use matters; prepare general corporate documents; prepare and negotiate general commercial leases; prepare and negotiate
  • primary and co-location telecommunications leases for corporate and municipal clients;

    Associate General Councel Barbara Jackson with Governor Jim Martin.

  • prepare and negotiate offers to purchase and contract for real property transactions; represent clients in state and federal court in commercial litigation and administrative hearings; commercial and residential real estate closings.
    
    
• DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL, GOVERNOR’S ADVOCACY COUNCIL
  FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
  Raleigh, North Carolina September 1992 - December 1996
  • Exclusively represented clients with disabilities. Civil rights practice. Extensive public speaking on Americans with Disabilities Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Supervised Central Office Legal Services Section.
    
    
• ASSOCIATE GENERAL COUNSEL TO THE GOVERNOR
  Raleigh, North Carolina December 1991 - August 1992
  • Researched and advised client on a variety of issues, including public contracts, state and federal constitutional law, and the State Personnel Act. Investigated citizen complaints and answered citizen inquiries.
    
    
• ASSISTANT LEGAL COUNSEL TO THE GOVERNOR
  Raleigh, North Carolina July 1991 - December 1991
  • Researched and prepared memoranda of law on a variety of issues, including public records, the Hobbs Act, and the Voting Rights Act. Handled ongoing inquiries, correspondence, and management of hundreds of files regarding Executive Clemency, general legal correspondence of the office, and telephone inquiries from the public.
    
    
• RESEARCH ASSISTANT TO THE HONORABLE BURLEY B. MITCHELL, JR.,
  (FORMER CHIEF) JUSTICE, SUPREME COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA
  Raleigh, North Carolina August 1990 - June 1991
  • Prepared bench briefs and drafted opinions for review by Supreme Court Justice.
    

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EDUCATION

• GRADUATE University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law,
  May 1990, Juris Doctor
  • Honors and Activities: Staff Member, North Carolina Law Review
  • Dean’s List
  • President, Phi Delta Phi
    
  • College Bowl
    
    
• Meredith College, Raleigh, North Carolina, August 1996
  • Legal Assistants’ Program—Concentration in Civil Litigation
    
    
• UNDERGRADUATE University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, May 1984
  Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies—Concentration in
  English and History
  • Honors and Activities:
    • Thomas J. Watson National Merit Scholar
  • Dean’s List
  • Social Chair, Zeta Tau Alpha
  • Oxford University, Oxford, England, Summer Study
  • Carolina Union Forum Committee

    Barbara Jackson in Washington where she served as intern to the United States Senate Library, 1982,1983 & 1984.

OTHER EXPERIENCE

• INTERN, UNITED STATES SENATE LIBRARY, UNITED STATES CAPITOL
  Washington, DC Summers 1982, 1983, 1984

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MEMBERSHIPS AND AWARDS

• Member, North Carolina State Bar Number 17788
  
  
• Member, North Carolina Bar Association
  
  
• Vice-Chair, Administrative Law Section (Council Member 2003-present)
  
  
• Government Attorneys Section
  
  
• Labor and Employment Law Section (Department of Labor Council Liaison 2001-present)
  
  
• Member, Wake County Bar Association
  
  
• Summer Programs Committee
  
  
• Fellow, North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership (Spring 2003)
  
  
• Member, State Employees’ Combined Campaign State
  Advisory Committee (2002-2003)
  
  
• Member, Raleigh Telecommunications Commission (1999-2001)
  
  
• Member, Law Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
  Task Force (1993-94)
  
  
• Member, Special Needs Federation (1998-2000)
  
  
• Member, Raleigh Junior League
  
  
• Member, Highland United Methodist Church (Chancel Choir)
  
  
• Awarded North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine, 1992
  

INTERESTS

Travel, snow skiing, musical theater.

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