William W. Plyler PLLCRaleigh, North Carolina
| Of Counsel | |
| phone | 919-827-4782 866-284-7122 (Toll-Free) |
| fax | 919-781-8630 |
| Email Me | |
William's interest in the law derived from his admiration and respect for his uncle, deceased North Carolina Supreme Court Justice John Webb, who in turn was inspired by his uncle, deceased Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court William Devin. William understood at an early age that the rule of law is critical to protecting the rights of every citizen.
After graduating from law school in 1982, William advocated for victims of crime as an Assistant District Attorney in Wake County. For the last 26 years, he has advocated for victims of negligence in civil cases involving motor vehicle negligence, wrongful death, and products liability. Among his notable cases were the wrongful death cases against a municipality, its building inspectors, and a landlord arising out of a rental house fire in which a family of five, with children ages 7, 5, and 3, burned to death. The fire was one of the deadliest residential fires in the state's history. William has represented many victims of drunk driving collisions in claims against drunk drivers and the bars which served the drivers the alcoholic beverages. He publishes legal commentary on recent court decisions each week on his blog at www.nclawandpolicy.com.
William has served as President of the Wake County Bar Association. He has also served as President of the Tenth Judicial District Bar. He is a member of the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference. He was an inaugural member of the Susie Sharp Inn of Court. He currently serves on the Professionalism Award Committee, the By Laws Committee, and the Athletics Committee of the Bar. He is the current champion of the Bar's annual tennis tournament and is a former champion of the golf tournament .
William and his wife, Sally, have been married 30 years. They have a married daughter, two sons, and three grandsons. When he is not working, William enjoys reading, playing tennis and basketball, and playing with his grandsons.
- Bar Admissions:
- North Carolina, 1982
- U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 1990
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of North Carolina, 1985
- U.S. District Court Middle District of North Carolina, 1991
- Education:
- University of North Carolina School of Law, Chapel Hill, North Carolina,
1982
J.D. - University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina,
1978
B.A.
Major: English
- Published Works:
- http://www.nclawandpolicy.com, William W. Plyler, PLLC, ongoing
- Pre-litigation Investigation of DWI and Dram Shop Claims, NCAJ's "Trial Briefs", December, 2009
- Honors and Awards:
- AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell
- Best Lawyers in America, Personal Injury Litigation, 2012
- Professional Associations and Memberships:
- Wake County Bar Association, 1982 - Present
- Member
- North Carolina Bar Association, 1982 - Present
- Member
- North Carolina State Bar
- Member
- North Carolina Advocates for Justice
- Member
- The American Association for Justice
- Member
- Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference
- Member
- Board of Directors, Wake County Bar Association and Tenth Judicial District Bar, 2012-2014
- Past Employment Positions:
- McMillan Smith Plyler, Partner, 1985 - 2011
- Wake County, Assistant District Attorney, 1982 - 1985
- Pro Bono Activities:
- YMCA - Youth Basketball Coach, 1989 - 2005
- First Baptist Church - Local Missions, 1982 - Present
- Lunch With A Lawyer (Wake Bar Association), 1985 - Present
- Coach - Broughton High School Mock Trial Team, 2006 - 2009
- Judge - NCAJ High School Mock Trial Competition, 1995 - Present
