Georgia Nixon grew up in High Point, N.C. as a shy, quiet girl alongside her three siblings and Greek immigrant parents. She was raised to value family and to have a strong work-ethic. These morals and ethics that were instilled in her at an early age carried over into her adult life as she pursued her career in law.
As a child and teenager Nixon was friends with everyone in school. It didn’t matter who you were or where you came from, she wanted to be friends with you. It was in school that she learned she was born to be a leader.
“I don’t think that people who are leaders know they are leaders,” said Nixon.
Nixon didn’t realize she was a leader when she was in school, but it was apparent through her hard work and determination that she was born to be one. Her teachers often told her to let others have a chance at being a leader in group projects because she was always eager to help other students.
Nixon wasn’t just born to be a leader, but she was also raised to be a hard worker. Her first job was wrapping potatoes in her family's restaurant, Pavilion, located in Greensboro.
Her brother has now taken over the restaurant. She remembers taking a shift years ago when a bartender had called out and a person she had worked with at the court walked in and asked her why she was bartending and she simply answered “my family needed me.”
Nixon values family and being a hard worker, which led her to become a lawyer. Her family's motto was family first, school and work second and fun later.
Since her parents were Greek immigrants they had a language barrier so she found herself helping them understand English and American culture. She remembers helping them renew their driver’s license or navigate the doctor’s office. As she got older she also became more involved in church and realized that she was good at helping others but also that these people needed her help.
Nixon went to Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. She was hired by the District Attorney's Office after graduation and immediately fell in love with it, which inspired her to follow a path in criminal law.
Nixon says people often ask, “how can you represent guilty people?” Her answer is not everyone is guilty. Some people are guilty, some are guilty of only a few of the charges against them, and some aren’t guilty at all. It really comes down to what happened and why it happened. Some people go down a dark path of addiction, others might be homeless, and sometimes it has to do with relationships or love. Learning to understand people and help those people is one of Nixon’s greatest strengths.
Nixon’s work as a criminal lawyer has been so exceptional that she was interviewed for an A&E Accused, Guilty or Innocent episode where she defended an innocent man.
Nixon is now running for Superior Court Judge of N.C. She has a long resume of work that she has accomplished as a lawyer: she is a board certified specialist in state and federal criminal law, she has had hundreds of jury trials, and she helps others continue their education in law, just to name a few of her many accomplishments.
Nixon has had four interns from HPU, one of which followed her path and went to Campbell for law school and just finished his first year.
Although she has a strong background in law, it can be difficult to run for judge as lawyers will move to locations they know they are favored in or will use political connections to promote their campaign. Her hope to win the upcoming primary in March.
As a judge Nixon hopes to change the old societal norms in the courtroom. For example, there have been judges where women couldn’t wear pants or women had to have tights under their skirts in order to be respected by that judge. She wants to level the playing field for women.
She hopes to be the kind of judge that anyone can approach. She will still carry the same idea that she will listen and understand anyone put in front of her. She will protect the rights of all individuals, on all sides and carry out an equal trial for everyone involved.
Nixon’s advice to students interested in studying law is to find a lawyer to shadow. Most law schools require an internship and it is the best way to learn. If she is able to, she is always happy to take on a law student and teach those who are interested in becoming a lawyer.
Nixon has worked extremely hard to achieve her goals as a lawyer. She has earned everything she has accomplished and will continue to take every opportunity that comes her way.
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