Fairness and professionalism are two attributes that those who shared time in the courtroom with Mary McLauchlin âMary Macâ Pope remember most about the Vass native.
âShe was extremely successful in anything and everything she attempted, whether it was being a prosecutor, a judge, a lawyer in private practice, a domestic mediator,â Superior Court Judge James Webb said.
A trailblazer for women in the courtroom in Moore County and across the state, Pope dedicated her life to law and order until she passed away at her family farmhouse on Jan. 25 at the age of 70.
Pope was the first woman appointed assistant district attorney in District 20 in 1977. On March 23, 1984, at age 33, she was appointed as the youngest female Superior Court judge in North Carolina, and the third female appointed to serve the Superior Court.
Mary McLauchlin âMary Macâ Pope, 70, of Vass, passed away peacefully at her family farmhouse on Monday, Jan. 25, 2021.Â
She was born Oct. 30,1950, and grew up in the family farmhouse that she dearly loved. She enjoyed being on the farm and always expressed her strong love for the property. Mary Mac was the daughter of the late Charles Ray and Mary McLauchlin Pope.Â
She is survived by a brother, Charles Ray Pope Jr. of Vass.
She graduated from Union Pines High School in 1968. She went on to attend Queens College for two years, and then transferred to UNC Chapel Hill to complete her Bachelor of Arts in political science, class of 1972. Mary Mac then attended Wake Forest University School of Law and graduated in 1977 with a juris doctorate degree.Â
Sarah Livings has joined Nashville-based commercial and residential architecture firm Studio 8 Design.
Livings (pictured) holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Auburn University, where she was active in design-build programs including the Rural Studio Program and the 100Fold Summer Studio in Montana. She is a member of the American Institute of Architects.
“Sarah brings a design foundation, passion and some hands-on construction experience and we’re thrilled she has joined our team,” said Matt Taylor, Studio 8 Design founder.
Founded in 2005, the Studio 8 Design office is located in downtown’s Rutledge Hill district. The firm’s portfolio includes tenant buildout and improvement, ground-up commercial, adaptive reuse and custom residential architecture and design projects throughout Middle Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Texas.
This year’s virtual ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, January 28, at 3:30 p.m.
The Florida Bar will recognize 21 lawyers for their work on behalf of low-income and disadvantaged clients at a January 28 ceremony streamed live online by the Supreme Court of Florida.
Established in 1981, The Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Service Awards are intended to encourage lawyers to volunteer free legal services to the poor by recognizing those who make public service commitments and to raise public awareness of the substantial volunteer services provided by Florida lawyers to those who cannot afford legal fees. Florida Bar President Dori Foster-Morales will present the 2021 awards.