BY MIKE FUHRMAN
Throughout his 54-year career, attorney Bill Pope distinguished himself for his service to his clients and the community.
Pope was inducted into the N.C. Bar Association Legal Practice Hall of Fame this fall, joining an elite group of attorneys recognized for “a lifetime of exemplary service and high ethical and professional standards.”
A day earlier Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Joseph Crosswhite presided over a special session of court in which Pope was honored by his colleagues and local elected officials.
Pope, who represented the Iredell County Board of Commissioners and Mitchell Community College Board of Trustees for decades, was humbled by the recognition. After being honored with eight other new Hall of Fame members, he equated the honor to winning a Super Bowl ring.
“In a way it means everything,” he said in an interview. “This is as good as it gets in this profession.”
A native of Dunn, N.C., Pope began his career in Statesville with the firm of Adams and Dearman after graduating from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1968. He and his wife Becky chose to make Statesville their home because it was a growing city and a place where they thought they could make a difference.
Pope distinguished himself throughout his career by serving as the county attorney for Iredell County for 32 years and the attorney for Mitchell Community College for almost 40 years. As county attorney, he played an integral role in the merger of the Iredell County and City of Statesville school systems.
Although working in a political arena with commissioners from both parties was challenging at times, Pope remained above the fray. He attributed his longevity as county attorney to staying out of politics and remembering his role was to provide sound legal counsel.
Aside from his long service to Iredell County and Mitchell Community College, Pope also represented individuals and businesses in his general practice.
In one memorable case, he represented one of many paving contractors in the South who was indicted for fixing prices and rigging bids.
“My client was the only one in the country who was acquitted,” he said. “It like to say he was acquitted because he was, in fact, innocent – not because of any superior lawyering skills.”
Before his retirement in 2022, Pope also served on the North Carolina Banking Commission and State Ethics Commission, civic contributions that helped him receive the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2020.
Pope’s colleagues at Pope McMillan, P.A., the Statesville law firm that still bears his name, along with other members of the local bar and community leaders, played a critical role in Pope’s selection for the Hall of Fame.
Superior Court Judge William A. Long Jr., in his nominating letter, touted Pope’s exemplary service to his community and said he represents “the gold standard of what it means to be an attorney.”
Statesville Mayor Costi Kutteh, who joined the firm of Pope, McMillan, and Bender in 1974, recalled a time early in his career when Pope asked him to assist with a trial in Superior Court.
“I can’t remember the case; I can’t remember the parties; I can’t remember the Judge,” Kutteh shared. “I remember vividly, however, opposing counsel inquiring of a juror whether he could be fair and impartial because he knew Bill Pope. I will never forget the juror’s response: ‘If you mean the fact that he is most decent, honest, faithful person I’ve ever known, I suppose I can be impartial!’ “
That reputation followed Pope throughout his career and into his retirement.
“Without his direction and commitment, the college would not have progressed at crucial times to meet the demands of the community in providing higher educational opportunities,” Mitchell Community College President Tim Brewer noted in his Hall of Fame nomination. “Bill’s work, whether as a volunteer or in his capacity as legal counsel, was always conducted with the highest ethical and professional standards.”
Pope said he was inspired, as a young man, to pursue a career in the law by his late grandfather, Claude Harris Pope, who promised to cover the tuition for his first grandchild who attended law school. Even though his grandfather passed away and was unable to make good on the promise, Pope remained at UNC to study law after completing his undergraduate degree in Chapel Hill.
Pope was the first of 14 descendants of Claude Pope to become a practicing attorney. In retirement, he is revered as the founder of the Pope Bar Association.
“I think everybody else thought if I could do, it anybody could do it,” Pope joked.
