Melody Jewell Jolly

Melody practices professional liability defense, including the defense of attorneys, architects & engineers, real estate professionals, accountants, home inspectors & appraisers, land surveyors, directors & officers of profit and non-profit corporations and other non-medical professionals. Melody is Section Leader for the Firms Professional Liability practice group and she has maintained an active leadership role in the Defense Research Institute (DRI)s Professional Liability Committee since 2009, serving two terms as its Chair from 2019-2021. Melodys dedication to professional liability defense includes counseling her professional clients on their ethical obligations and - if a mistake is made - assisting her clients in determining if the error can be corrected or the damage lessened and a claim or lawsuit avoided. In addition to professional liability defense, Melodys legal experience includes community associations litigation, representation of corporations in business disputes and general liability matters. In 2013, she was appointed to the Lawyers Mutual Eastern Carolina Community Board and she currently still serves in that role. In 2017, Melody accepted an invitation to membership in the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC). Melody is an active member of the Professional Liability Attorney Network (PLAN), a national organization of independent, AV-rated law firms, specializing in all aspects of professional liability and related-industry law, and she also frequently presents on professional liability topics at DRI, PLAN, and other seminars. Melody maintains an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell, a prestigious peer review rating that recognizes attorneys who have reached high levels of skill and integrity. She has been named by North Carolina Super Lawyers as a Rising Star: 2010 - 2019, and as a Super Lawyer: 2020 - 2022. Melody has been selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in the field of Professional Malpractice Law: 2018 - 2022, and she was recognized among the Benchmark 40 & Under 2019 Hot List in the field of Professional Liability Defense. Melody received the 2008 Power of Justice Pro Bono Impact Award presented by NC Bar Association and Business Leader Magazine. Outside of the office, Melody serves on the Board of Directors - Executive Committee (2021 - present) for the Coastal Pop Warner Cowboys Football and Cheerleading Association, a non-profit educational organization providing a supervised program of competitive athletic activities, and she is the President of the Homeowners Association in her community. Articles, Presentations, and Publications Admissibility of Licensing Board Decisions in Related (or Unrelated) Civil Actions, PLAN webinar, October 2021. DRI Professional Liability Seminar, Steering Committee, 2011-2021. This Case is Killing Me! NC Lawyers Mutual Risk Management CLE Series, January, 2020. Even Homer Nods: What to Look Out for in Professional Indemnity Claims, DRI International Dispute Resolution Conference, London, England, June 14, 2018. Attacks on Professional Licensure, DRI Professional Liability Seminar, December 2017. Lawyers Professionalism and Ethics and Professional Liability: I Made a Mistake! What Now? Dont Make It Worse! DRI Annual Meeting, October 2016. Win, Lose, or Draw: Building Your Way out of a Complex Construction Case as the Design Professional, DRI Professional Liability Seminar, December 2016. Applicability of Professional Services Exemptions Under State Consumer Protection Statutes, 2010.