Hon. Ola Lewis

Judge Lewis graduated from Fayetteville State University in 1986  and received her Juris Doctorate from North Carolina Central University in 1990.  Upon successfully passing the Bar in 1990, She served as a law clerk to the Honorable Speaker of the House, Dan Blue, in his firm of Thigpen, Blue, Stephens and Fellers in Raleigh.  Hired as an Assistant District Attorney for the 13th Prosecutorial District (Brunswick, Bladen and Columbus counties) she went on to become the youngest and first female African-American Judge in Brunswick County. Judge Lewis is currently the Senior Resident Superior Court Judge for District 13 B.

Judge Lewis has created five Specialty Courts to serve the citizens of Brunswick County.  Drug Treatment Court, a true night court program,  Mental Health Therapeutic Court, DWI Therapeutic Court, Domestic Violence Therapeutic Court and the Sex Offender Accountability and Rehabilitation Court (SOAR).

Professional memberships and boards include the North Carolina State Bar, 13th Judicial District Bar Association, the Brunswick County Bar Association and the North Carolina Black Lawyers Bar Association.  Achievements and honors include the Gubernatorial Awarded  Old North State Award, General Federation of Women’s Club of North Carolina, Women of Achievement Award, Brunswick County Bar Association Hall of Fame Award,  Trailblazer Award for the Brunswick Beacon, Fayetteville State University Chancellor’s Medallion, Lower Cape Fear YMCA Women of Achievement Award and Lawyer’s Weekly Women of Justice Award, 2013.

Community and Volunteer activities include Brunswick County Women in Philanthropy, North Carolina Plant Conservancy, Southport Oak Island Kiwanis Club.

Judge Lewis was born in Fayetteville North Carolina and grew up in Spring Lake where she attended William’s Chapel Free Will Baptist Church.  Her father, Mose, served in the United States Army as a Command Sgt. Maj. where he served in Korea, three tours in Vietnam and a tour in the Dominican Republic. Upon his retirement Mose became an educator in Southport. He was Principal at South Brunswick High School and retired Assistant Superintendent of Schools of Brunswick County.

Judge Lewis’ mother, Doris, was a respected educator in the Harnett County school system. Mose and Doris shared their time between the home place in Spring Lake and Southport. Doris retired to take care of her beloved husband when he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease in 1995.  Mose passed in April of 2000.