“I am grateful for Allie Leake’s service to her community and her willingness to step up,” said Governor Cooper. “She will be a great addition to the bench and serve the people of western North Carolina with distinction.”

Leake is currently a Partner at Leake and Stokes, PLLC in Marshall, N.C. She has been with the firm since 2019, beginning as a legal intern before becoming a trial attorney. Leake received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Juris Doctorate from West Virginia University College of Law.