Allison Riggs is a candidate for North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 6. Her name will appear on the ballot on November 5, 2024.
Riggs is being challenged by Jefferson G. Griffin for the seat.
The first day of in-person early voting at your local registrar’s office in North Carolina is Oct. 17, 2024. NC voters can check their registration status using the Voter Search tool on the State Board of Elections website.
10 On Your Side reached out to all of the candidates running in this race, with a request for a bio and a list of questions to answer. If you do not see the candidate listed with a profile, we did not receive one.
Name: Allison Riggs
Age: 43
Race: North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 6
Party: Democratic
Website: www.riggsforourcourts.com
Biography: Justice Allison Riggs has spent her entire career fighting for equal justice under the law for every North Carolinian. She is an accomplished appellate attorney and judge who is proud to serve North Carolinians as an associate justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court.
Justice Riggs put herself through college, graduate school and law school at the University of Florida. After law school, she spent 14 years as a civil rights and voting rights attorney at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice in Durham, North Carolina, eventually serving as the Co-Executive Director for Programs and Chief Counsel for Voting Rights. She partnered with communities across the South to work for fair elections and safe and healthy environments. She had the privilege of arguing in state courts across the South, the Fourth and Fifth circuit courts, and twice before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Governor Cooper appointed Justice Riggs to the Court of Appeals in 2023, and then to the North Carolina Supreme Court. On the Supreme Court, she approaches all cases that have and will come before her with thoughtfulness, compassion, and a commitment to the rule of law.
As a justice, her guiding principles are integrity, transparency, consistency and empathy. She believes that everyone who comes before the court should be treated with dignity and respect. As the youngest woman to ever serve on our state supreme court, she brings an important and new perspective to the bench. Justice Riggs continues to ensure that the Supreme Court delivers justice to all North Carolinians without fear or favor.
Why are you running for office?
I learned as a civil rights attorney how important it was to have people committed to equity on the bench. As a justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court, I am committed to upholding the rule of law, protecting the rights of all North Carolinians, and laying the groundwork to elect more justice-minded individuals to our state courts. For 14 years, I worked alongside community organizations as an attorney at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, representing North Carolinians in their fight for equal access to the ballot box. I work now as a judge to ensure that our courts are accessible and deliver equal justice under law for all. I believe that everyone who comes before our courts should be treated with dignity and respect.
We must increase transparency and accountability within the judiciary if we want to build trust and faith in the North Carolina legal system. Educating the public on how our courts work and the critical role they play in shaping our everyday lives is a vital part of this job. This office is not just about upholding the law; it is about building a future where every North Carolinian can access the legal tools they may need to keep their communities safe and build lives where everyone thrives.
If you are elected, what will be your top priority in office?
My top priority will be (1) ensuring that the courts are accessible and transparent, and (2) ensuring that North Carolina courts are delivering equal justice under law. I am committed to upholding the rule of law and protecting the rights of all individuals who come before the court. This means approaching each case with an open mind, a focus on equity, and a dedication to impartiality in decision-making.
I will also continue to educate the public about the role of the judiciary and how our decisions impact their daily lives. By fostering a greater understanding of the courts and ensuring that every person is treated with dignity and respect, we strengthen public trust in the judicial system. My goal is to make sure that every North Carolinian has faith in the courts as a place where justice is delivered with integrity, transparency, and empathy.
What is the top challenge facing North Carolina, and how would you address it?
There are many challenges facing our state, including inequality in access to resources like healthcare and quality public education. However, one challenge specifically facing our courts is ensuring equitable access to justice for all individuals, regardless of race, income, or background. Too often, people—especially those from historically-marginalized or lower income communities—feel that the legal system is too complex, too costly, or simply stacked against them. When people lose faith in the courts as a place where they can find justice, the entire state suffers.
To address this, I believe we need to focus on increasing transparency and expanding access to legal representation. This means providing more resources to help people navigate the legal process, both through legal aid and pro bono services, and through more user-friendly court procedures. At the heart of this is the idea that our courts must work for everyone, not just those with the means to navigate them easily. I am committed to doing everything I can to make sure that every North Carolinian can trust our courts to deliver fair and timely justice.
What is an issue in North Carolina you feel not enough people are talking about it? How would you use the power and influence you’d have in this position to address it?
Many North Carolinians are talking about access to abortion in this election. However, I would like to foster more discussion about reproductive freedom overall, including access to IVF and miscarriage care.
I am the youngest woman to ever serve on the North Carolina Supreme Court, and the only woman of childbearing age currently serving on any of our state appellate courts. My husband and I hope to start a family, but I may need medical assistance to do so, including access to IVF or emergency miscarriage care. I deeply value reproductive freedom and the ability of every North Carolinian to decide if, when and how to start their own family, and to do so in safety and peace.
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the US Supreme Court, state courts are now the final arbiters on whether women like me can access essential reproductive healthcare, including miscarriage treatment. In Georgia, two Black women recently died because they were unable to access life-saving miscarriage care. This happened after the Georgia Supreme Court rejected challenges to the state’s abortion ban. I hope that this year, North Carolinians will consider the importance of judicial elections for reproductive freedom.
How do you work with others you don’t agree with?
Working with others with whom I do not see eye-to-eye is a crucial part of being a judge and a lawyer. I believe it starts with collaboration, mutual respect and listening. In my 14 years as a civil rights attorney and now nearly 2 years as a judge, I’ve learned that effective collaboration requires understanding where others are coming from and being transparent about my own reasoning. During my time on the Court of Appeals, over 90% of my opinions were bipartisan, demonstrating my ability to work across differences. I am also willing to keep working to find a mutually-agreeable position, even if I do not first succeed. That tenacity is necessary to build bridges.
I have these skills because I grew up in a politically diverse family. I understand how to work collaboratively with people who view the law or the world differently than I do because doing so was necessary to maintain familial relationships that are important to me. Maintaining respect for the rule of law is equally important to me. Disagreement on the court is inevitable, but when it is based on reasoned arguments and a genuine effort to do what is right under the law, it can lead to stronger, more thoughtful decisions.
