Anita Sue Earls is an American jurist, civil rights attorney, and incumbent Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. She has served on the state’s highest court since January 2019 after winning election in 2018 and is running for re-election in 2026. Earls was born in 1960 in Seattle, Washington, and grew up in a mixed-race family at a time when interracial marriage was illegal in many states — an experience that shaped her lifelong commitment to justice and equality. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political economy and philosophy from Williams College and her J.D. from Yale Law School. Earls began her legal career litigating civil rights, voting rights, school desegregation, employment discrimination, and environmental justice cases in both state and federal courts. She served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice during the Clinton administration, directed the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s Voting Rights Project, and founded the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, a nonprofit legal advocacy organization serving historically marginalized communities across the South. In addition to her legal practice, she has taught at several law schools and served on the North Carolina State Board of Elections and the Equal Access to Justice Commission. As a Supreme Court justice, Earls has continued her dedication to protecting rights and upholding fairness for all North Carolinians.
Key Issue Stances & Judicial Philosophy
Justice Earls emphasizes equal justice under law, protection of fundamental rights, and fair application of the state constitution in her judicial work. Her legal philosophy reflects a long history of fighting discrimination and ensuring that the courts protect the rights of historically marginalized communities. Her track record includes work on voting rights, education equity, employment discrimination, environmental justice, and access to the courts for all citizens. Earls believes that a fair judiciary must interpret the law impartially, uphold civil liberties, and ensure that every person — regardless of background — is treated with dignity and respect. She has highlighted the importance of protecting the right to vote, a sound basic education, environmental rights, and access to justice for individuals who have been denied equal treatment under the law.
As an associate justice, she has been one of the few Democratic voices on a court that has shifted Republican-majority in recent years, including dissenting when she believes core democratic principles or fair electoral processes are at risk.
Notable Accomplishments & Impact
- Experienced Civil Rights Litigator: Earls spent more than 30 years representing clients in major civil rights cases, including voting rights, desegregation, discrimination, and environmental justice litigation, shaping legal protections for individuals across North Carolina and beyond.
- Founder of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice: She established and led a nonprofit legal advocacy organization that partnered with marginalized communities in the South to challenge inequities and protect rights.
- Federal and State Service: Served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, and on the North Carolina State Board of Elections and Equal Access to Justice Commission.
- Supreme Court Leadership: Elected to an eight-year term beginning in 2019, where she has brought her deep expertise on civil rights, election law, and constitutional protections to the bench.
- Voice for Fair Process: In high-profile rulings involving voting rights and election administration, Earls has provided reasoned dissents defending the integrity of democratic processes and opposing efforts that would disenfranchise voters.
I spent my career as an attorney fighting to protect and defend the freedoms of everyday North Carolinians. Now, as your Justice, I’ve continued to uphold the rights enshrined in our State Constitution — like access to healthcare, a sound basic public education, and the right to vote.
- Anita Earls