March 12, 2018
The North Carolina Bar Association Criminal Justice Section presented its 10th annual Peter. S. Gilchrist III and Wade M. Smith awards on Thursday, February 1st.
These honors are awarded to an outstanding prosecutor (Gilchrist Award) and defense attorney (Smith Award). The awards are named for their initial recipients, former Mecklenburg County District Attorney Peter Gilchrist and renowned defense attorney Wade Smith of Raleigh, who previously served as an NCIIC Commissioner.
NCIIC Commissioner Michael A. Grace of Grace, Tisdale & Clifton in Winston-Salem received the Smith Award which was presented by Chief Justice Mark Martin.
Mr. Grace opened his own law firm in 1981 and has been engaged in private practice and criminal defense for more than 30 years. In 2015, Mr. Grace was appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to the NC Innocence Inquiry Commission. Mr. Grace was appointed to a second term on the Commission in 2018.
The full article regarding Mr. Grace’s award can be found at https://www.ncbar.org/news/2018-gilchristsmith-awards-dinner/
Mr. Grace’s bio can be found on the Commission’s website at: http://ncinnocence.wpengine.com/about/michael-grace/