Howard is the winner of the 2016 Gilchrist Award from the North Carolina Bar Association. The prosecutorial companion to the Wade Smith Justice Award, it is given annually to one lawyer since 2008. Howard was inducted into the American College of Trial Attorneys in 2017. Fellowship in this organization is extended only by invitation and is limited to those trial lawyers who are unquestionably and eminently qualified, in addition to being regarded as the best in their state/province.
Howard Cummings joined the criminal defense team at Tharrington Smith in January 2019, bringing a wealth of knowledge, resources, and insight from his nearly three decades serving as Deputy Assistant District Attorney for Wake County.
Mr. Cummings graduated from North Carolina State University with a BS in Civil Engineering in 1976, and received his Juris Doctor in 1979 from Campbell College School of Law. Prior to moving to Raleigh and joining the District Attorney’s office, Howard was a private practice lawyer in Pitt County for several years. During his tenure in the DA’s office, he saw the expansion of the office from 15 attorneys to several dozens.
Through thousands of criminal matters, Howard has been known for fairness and compassion, which he displayed to victims and offenders alike. Upon his retirement from the District Attorney’s office in late 2018, Governor Roy Cooper bestowed to him fellowship in the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in recognition of his service to the state.
Campbell College School of Law
North Carolina State University
Wells Fargo Building
150 Fayetteville Street
Suite 1900
Raleigh, NC 27601
P.O. Box 1151
Raleigh, NC 27602
(Wake County)
(919) 821-4711
Fax: (919) 829-1583