25th Annual Whitney M. Young, Jr.

The Honorable Paul L. Jones, Judge of the Superior Court (Ret.) Col, USA (Ret.) 2026 Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award Recipient

Judge Paul L. Jones has always viewed community service as an obligation to his community. Growing up in Kinston, North Carolina, he started contributing in high school. After high school, the first step in his educational journey was at North Carolina A&T State University where he received a B.S. Degree in 1971 along with an Army ROTC Commission. Next, he obtained a J.D. Degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1974. Following law school, his most improbable first job landed him at the United States Supreme Court in Washington, DC.

In January 1976, Army obligations called and now Captain Jones was enrolled in the Judge Advocate Basic Course in Charlottesville, Virginia. April 1976 found the new JAG at the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas. He served on active duty for three years. Upon completing three years of active military duty, the new civilian returned home to practice law with his mentor Harvey E. Beech. Immediately he began a pattern of service including the hospital board, school board, school board attorney, and church leader. Later he would become local bar president, district bar president, and serve two terms on the N.C. State Bar Disciplinary Hearing Commission. Other appointments included the North Carolina State Banking Commission, Equal Access to Justice Commission and Judicial Standards Commission. In 1996, he was appointed and elected as a District Court Judge. In 2000 and 2008, he was elected to his Superior Court judgeship without opposition.

Concurrent with his civilian occupations of lawyer and judge, he served 26 years in the U.S. Army Reserve, retiring in 2000 with the rank of Colonel (O-6) and numerous commendations and awards, including the Legion of Merit and the National Defense Service Medal. In 2003, he was inducted into the A&T ROTC Hall of Fame.

After retiring as a Superior Court Judge in 2016, Judge Jones relocated to Guilford County and began service as an Emergency Superior Court Judge until June 2022. Upon full retirement, his volunteer activities included being President of the 200 member Greensboro Rotary Club and President of the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers. In 2017, the Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives appointed Judge Jones to two 4-year terms as a member of the Board of Trustees of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. He currently serves as Chairman of the Hayes-Taylor YMCA Board of Directors and is a member of the Executive Board of the Old North State Council of Scouting America.

A 1969 inductee of Alpha Nu Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and Life Member, Jones was named Middle Eastern Province Man of the Year for 1985. He is also a member of Beta Epsilon Boulé  of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and Golden Heritage Life Member of the NAACP. In recognition of his service to the State of North Carolina and profession,
he has been awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, N.C. State Bar John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award, and the N.C. Bar Association Legal Legends of Color.

He is married to Edwina Link Jones and has two daughters, Krystle Paulette and Erika Nicole.