Life-long pals find shared interest in legal system

By Jay Almond, Staff Writer

Sunday, September 23, 2007 September 24, 2007 09:38 am

— A pair of Stanly County natives swore in superior court Friday to uphold the law. They were not on trial, however, or approaching the witness stand.
James Linville Senter and Russell Jordan Andrew were being recognized by the county and state as successful North Carolina State Bar applicants ready to practice law.
They did so before family, friends and Superior Court Judge Susan Taylor.
While Taylor has sworn many new lawyers into official duty, these two were a little different.
Having recently completed law school at the University of North Carolina and passed the state bar exam, the pair returned to Stanly County for the swearing in ceremonies; particularly honored Taylor presided.
Andrew and Senter grew up with Taylor’s son Will and were thus familiar faces for the superior court judge as she addressed attendees.
“This is one of the greatest occasions judges get to participate in,” she said from the bench to a full gallery of witnesses.
Taylor was expectedly professional throughout the proceedings, but must have surely secured an extra sense of pride within, having the two new lawyers since before law was a glint in their minds.
“It’s been a great privilege to have known both of them since they were very young,” she said.
Each stood in turn in front of the bench to be recognized by the court and the state.
One just moments after the other rested a left hand on the Bible, raised the right to head level and followed Taylor’s lead through the process.
What took years for the two men to accomplish culminated with a sworn statement, a certificate of recognition and a gallery’s worth of applause.
The directions their lives took began perhaps before they knew it, but the decisions to become who they’ve become today were their own.
“I grew up here,” Senter said, “and when I was a senior in high school I decided this is exactly what I wanted to do.
“I knew if I got the chance I would give back to Stanly County.”
Just a few feet away, Senter’s life-long friend, roommate and classmate accepted congratulations from local legal officials.
Andrew reflected on how he’d chosen his career.
“I remember we talked about it in college and I’ve just taken it one day at a time,” he said.
Local attorney, Charles Brown, spoke prior to and following the proceedings, noting successful bar applicants across the state were involved in their own version of the day’s events.
However, many were among scores of other applicants being sworn to duty en masse, situations far different than the warm local ceremony.
“What we lack in quantity we make up for in quality,” Brown said.
“Russ Andrew and Jim Senter have deep ties here, they went to law school together, lived together, studied for the bar together and I thought it only appropriate they be sworn in together.”
Andrew graduated Albemarle High School in 2000 and enrolled the College of Charleston where he graduated magna cum laude in 2004.
Armed with degrees in Political Science and American Studies he attended law school at UNC.
While at UNC, Andrew served for two years as editor of Articles and Notes for the North Carolina Banking Institute and graduated with honors in May 2007.
He works in Charlotte at the law firm of Johnston, Allison & Hord, practicing commercial real estate and business law.
“I’ll be on the transactional side of the law,” Andrew said, “so I won’t be seeing much of the court room.
“I was never drawn to the law and order side.”
Senter, who also graduated Albemarle High School in 2000, graduated magna cum laude from The Citadel in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.
He went on to attend law school at UNC, where he graduated in 2007.
Senter is employed at the law firm of Brown, Brown & Brown in Albemarle where he’ll find another round of friendly faces.
“I’ve known four generations of the Senter family and we’re mighty proud in our firm to have Jim join us,” Brown said.
He’ll specialize in criminal law and personal injury/wrongful death litigation.
“I’m looking forward to practicing in Stanly County,” Senter said.
“This is exactly what I want to be doing.”
The families of the two young lawyers have been friends for many years, generations, in fact.
“Jim’s dad and my were the best of friends too,” Andrew’s father Mark said.
“The families are close. It seems like yesterday they (Jim and Russ) were going to the same birthday parties.
“Time just goes so quickly.”

Jay Almond can be contacted by email at snaponline21@yahoo.com.

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