United States Fourth Circuit

Summary judgment in favor of plaintiff, finding that the state prior practice requirement for obtaining comity admission to practice law in North Carolina violated plaintiff's constitutional right to travel, is reversed where the district court erroneously held that North Carolina could not constitutionally condition its grant of comity on practicing in a state with comity for a given number of years.

Appellate Information

• Argued 11/29/2005
• Decided 06/15/2006
• Published 06/15/2006

Judges

• Before WIDENER and SHEDD, Circuit Judges, and WALTER D. KELLEY, JR., United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, sitting by designation.

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  David J. Adinolfi, II, Assistant Attorney General, North Carolina Department of Justice, Raleigh, North Carolina, for Appellants/Cross-Appellees.  Steven C. Morrison, Holly Springs, North Carolina, for Appellee/Cross-Appellant.   ON BRIEF:  Geri S. Krauss, Anthony E. Davis, Hinshaw & Culbertson, L.L.P., New York, New York;  Michael L. Shor, Charlotte Chapter of Association of Corporate Counsel, Charlotte, North Carolina;  Brian Klemm, Research Triangle Area Chapter of Association of Corporate Counsel, Cary, North Carolina;  Susan Hackett, Association of Corporate Counsel, Washington, D.C., for Amicus Supporting Appellee/Cross-Appellant.