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Meet Howard Cummings

Criminal Defense
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
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Howard Cummings
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Biography

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.

Credentials

Campbell College School of Law

  • Juris Doctor 1979
  • Inaugural Class

North Carolina State University

  • BS Civil Engineering, 1976

 

Membership and Admissions

  • North Carolina State Bar, 1980
  • Wake County Bar Association, 1989
  • 10th Judicial District Bar, 1989
  • North Carolina Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section Member
  • North Carolina Advocates for Justice
  • American Bar Association
  • American College of Trial Attorneys, Fellow, since 2017
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina, 1986
Experience
  • Wake County District Attorney’s Office, Raleigh, NC, 1989-2018
  • Private Practice, Pitt, County NC, 1983-1989
  • Pitt County District Attorney’s Office, 1980-1983
  • Wake County Bar Association and Tenth Judicial Bar Board of Directors – 2 Terms
  • Justice Complex Design Team Leader
Awards & Honors
  • Best Lawyers, Criminal Defense: General Practice, 2021-2024
  • Order of the Long Leaf Pine, 2018
  • American College of Trial Attorneys Fellow, 2017
  • Gilchrist Award, North Carolina Bar Association, 2016
Engagement
  • NCSU University Club Board of Directors
  • NCSU University Club Pool Committee
  • NCSU University Club Audit Committee
  • City of Greenville NC Board of Adjustments – Past Chairman
  • N. C. Conference of District Attorney’s – Presenter at annual conference CLE training on substantive topics, ethics and mental health.

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