Amiee Nwabuike, who graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science from N.C. State in 2010, had always wanted to pursue a legal career. However, she has been deeply involved in the community. Nwabuike said, “I realize this is an idealistic goal, but I truly want to make society a better place for all.”
Nwabuike, a Chicago native, was encouraged to become an attorney by her father at a young age. She has a Juris Doctorate from UNC School of Law, and is currently an associate with O’Malley Tunstall.
The firm is involved in a wide range of personal injury claims, including slip-and fall accidents. These cases are often misunderstood by other law firms and attorneys due to North Carolina’s strict rule on contributory negligence, but we have had great success in them. You have to consider the same factors in a personal injury case as you would for a slip-and-fall.
Nwabuike stated that she considers damages, liability and coverage when representing a client in a slip-and-fall injury. When I’ve built good relationships with my clients, I can see the impact of what I’ve done at the end.
Her responsibilities include conducting focus groups every month to determine what potential jurors might think about a particular case. She said that they are scarred by recent history.
“I believe the people I have seen have a more difficult time empathizing with our injured clients. The people I’ve seen are less receptive to other people’s traumas and injuries, because we all feel so exhausted from hardships such as COVID and recession.
It’s not that they don’t care.
As attorneys, we show jurors that they should be concerned by focusing on a wrong done to someone. Someone committed a negligent or unsafe act that caused harm to another person. If you allow them to continue, they may hurt someone else.
Leadership Roles
Nwabuike was a part of the NCAJ Next Leadership Program 2023. She is a North Carolina Advocates for Justice member.
Nwabuike said that the NCAJ Next Leadership Program aims to develop leaders, not just in the NCAJ, but also within the legal profession across the state.
Janet Ward Black, a former NCAJ President, was one of the legends who spoke at our program. Janet Ward Black taught us an important lesson about leadership. She said: “The way to be a leader is by saying what you are going to do, doing it well and on time.”
“I have taken on some leadership roles within the NCAJ. It’s an excellent way to feel a sense of belonging, and that I am helping something bigger than myself. I encourage all trial lawyers to join. “You’re going to spend so much time practising law, why not join a larger community of attorneys?”
Nwabuike, as an urban runner, got to see one issue in the community first-hand. As a personal injury lawyer, I can see how poor road and urban design causes accidents and injuries. There should be safe options for all, whether you are a driver or a jogger.
I am a member of the national Strong Towns group, which promotes walkable cities, safer roads, and public transportation. I’d like to see the Triangle become less dependent on cars and have people use other transportation options than their own vehicles.
Focus on Three Things
Nwabuike claims she has learned a lot in her first five years of practice.
You will find that your clients are more satisfied if you resolve their cases faster and talk to them more. Remember that you can always go down, but never back up. Be flexible, and kind to yourself. “Just because things don’t work out as planned doesn’t mean that you can’t improve your situation,” Nwabuike explained.
What is the key to being a good lawyer? Three things come to mind: effective communication, efficient case resolution and skilled legal work. “I feel that if I master these three things, I will be well on my path to becoming a good lawyer whose clients will benefit from the work I perform.”
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