Commissioner: Paul "Skip" Stam

Paul “Skip” Stam has lived and practiced law in Apex, NC since 1976.  He served in the US Marine Corps from 1968-1970.

His undergraduate degree is from the School of Criminal Justice / Michigan State University (1972).  At UNC - Chapel Hill Law (1975) he was research assistant for the Criminal Law Subcommittee of the Conference of Superior Court Judges’ Committee on Pattern Jury Instructions. In 1975-76 he was Clerk for Justice James Exum, Jr.

He served 16 years in the General Assembly.  As a member and Minority Leader, 2007-2010, Majority Leader, 2011-2012, and Speaker Pro Tem, 2013-2016, he worked on such issues as custodial interrogations, line up rules, the creation of the Innocence Inquiry Commission, Justice Reinvestment, crime lab, toxicology and the death penalty.