Find information about the members of UNCW's general counsel staff.
John P. Scherer II serves as General Counsel at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Mr. Scherer, a former Major in the United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, served in various active duty (1992-96) and reserve positions.
From 1996 until 1999, Mr. Scherer litigated employment and civil rights cases as Assistant General Counsel for the Defense Commissary Agency. From 1999-2010, Mr. Scherer, as an Assistant Attorney General in the North Carolina Department of Justice, initially defended the North Carolina Department of Correction. He transitioned to defending the University of North Carolina and its constituent institutions in complex litigation, i.e., Title VII, ADEA, ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, contract, civil rights, other federal law, general employment, as well as regulatory, administrative and state and federal constitutional law in state and federal trial and appellate courts.
Mr. Scherer's subspecialties include employment law, civil rights law, constitutional law, and issues in human relations and student affairs. Mr. Scherer graduated Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Davidson College in 1989 with a B.A. (History with Honors), and law school from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (J.D. 1992). He is a native of West Virginia and a member of the North Carolina Bar.
Contact at (910) 962-4027; Email John
Julia Wicker Lee serves as Associate General Counsel. In 2006, Julia Wicker Lee joined UNCW as the Associate General Counsel. Prior to joining UNCW, Ms. Lee was a partner with Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP where she counseled clients, including Fortune 500 clients, on complex business transactions involving real estate, banking, finance, and commercial contract matters. In addition, Ms. Lee has substantial commercial litigation experience and has appeared in both North Carolina federal and state courts, including the North Carolina Business Court. Ms. Lee is also a certified Family Financial and Superior Court mediator and a Notary Public. Ms. Lee graduated magna cum laude from Wake Forest University earning a B.A. in Communications and also graduated from WFU’s Summer Business Management Program. In 2003, Ms. Lee graduated from Wake Forest University School of Law where she served as a member the Moot Court Board, won a national Moot Court competition, and received the Order of Barristers. While in private practice, Ms. Lee has been named a “Rising Star” by North Carolina Super Lawyers, “Legal Elite” by Business North Carolina, and received the award of “Women Extraordinaire” by the Triangle Business Leaders. Ms. Lee also completed the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce Leadership Raleigh program in 2012. She is a native of Sanford, North Carolina.
Contact at (910) 962-2130; Email Julia
Candace D. Harke serves as Associate General Counsel. Mrs. Harke, a Fayetteville native, graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2005 with a B.A. in Communication Studies and received her Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2008. She was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar in 2008.
Mrs. Harke began her legal career with Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Pembroke Office as a Staff Attorney and then the Managing Attorney of that office. She has represented clients in civil matters involving domestic violence law, family law, consumer law, housing law, public benefits law, and elder law. She also has represented Native American tribes in NC on issues regarding federal recognition and tribal governance and represented nonprofit organizations focused on community economic development.
Contact at (910) 962-3977; Email Candace
Steven W. Miller serves as Assistant General Counsel. Before arriving at UNCW in 2005, he was working in the Unemployment Insurance Benefits section of the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina for three and a half years. Prior employment has included eight years of private legal practice in California and one year as an NCAA Compliance Officer at Northwestern State University in Louisiana.
He received an M.S. in Sports Management from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, a J.D. from the University of Iowa and a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Iowa State University.
Contact at (910) 962-7238; Email Steven
Heather K. Richards serves a Paralegal for the Office of General Counsel. She joined the Office of General Counsel in March 2020. She has over 20 years of experience in the paralegal field. She previously worked as a civil litigation paralegal in Wilmington, NC. Heather received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from UNCW. After earning her degrees, she completed a paralegal certification program and became a NALA Advanced Certified Paralegal. She is also a North Carolina Certified Paralegal.
Contact at (910) 962-7583; Email Heather
Mailing Address:
UNCW
Office of the General Counsel
601 South College Road
Wilmington, NC 28403-5662
Each attorney has specific subject areas in which they regularly practice. Coming soon: A chart which lists the office's practice areas, divides those practice areas into sub-categories, and indicates the attorneys in the OGC who are best suited to provide legal advice in each sub-category. At least one primary attorney is designated in each sub-category.