Rockingham and Caswell District Attorney’s Offices News Release • December 19, 2022 • M. Richardson, Administrative Assistant
(Wentworth, NC) – Two Prosecutors from the 22nd Prosecutorial District were recently certified as Specialists in State Criminal Law by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew Cockman has been a prosecutor for almost seven years and is currently stationed in Rockingham County. Matthew has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Classics from UNC-Chapel Hill, a Master of Science Degree in Biology from UNC-Greensboro, and a Juris Doctor Degree from Elon University School of Law.
Assistant District Attorney Meghan Lock has been a prosecutor for over nine years and is currently stationed in Caswell County. Meghan has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Sociology from NC State University and a Juris Doctor Degree from Campbell University School of Law. In May of 2022, she was featured on an episode of NBC’s Dateline entitled: “The Day the Music Died,” which examined a murder case in Asheville that she successfully prosecuted.
On December 9, 2022, Matthew and Meghan were notified by the Board of Legal Specialization that they had successfully passed their exams and completed all the requirements for recognition as a Specialist in State Criminal Law. They were 2 of only 6 attorneys certified in this specialty in North Carolina in 2022. They are the only Specialists in State Criminal Law in the district, and 2 of the only 3 specialists in any field in the district. There are currently only 167 State Criminal Law Specialists in North Carolina. Three percent of all attorneys in North Carolina are recognized as Specialists in any area of law.
Matthew and Meghan were required to provide character references from a combination of 10 attorneys and judges, provide exhaustive lists of their experiences in jury trials and high-level felonies, and pass a rigorous six-hour examination.
District Attorney Jason Ramey said: “I am very proud of Matthew Cockman and Meghan Lock. They are two of the hardest working, knowledgeable, and conscientious prosecutors in the State of North Carolina. They are also exceptionally skilled trial attorneys. Becoming Specialists in State Criminal Law further demonstrates their steadfast commitment to perfecting their craft to better fight for victims of crime, hold criminals accountable, give competent legal advice to Law Enforcement, and ensure that justice is done for the citizens of Caswell and Rockingham Counties.”
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