Chris Dillon

Robert Christopher "Chris" Dillon (born 1965) is a North Carolina attorney and judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Dillon won election to the appellate court in a statewide race on Nov. 6, 2012, when he defeated incumbent Cressie Thigpen.[1] Dillon won re-election on Nov. 3, 2020 over challenger Gray Styers.

Chris Dillon
Judge Dillon at the NC Court of Appeals in Raleigh, NC.
Chief Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals
Assumed office
January 1, 2024
Appointed byPaul Martin Newby
Preceded byDonna Stroud
Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals
Assumed office
January 1, 2013
Preceded byCressie Thigpen
Personal details
Born
Robert Christopher Dillon

1965 (age 58–59)
Raleigh, North Carolina
Political partyRepublican
SpouseAnn Finley
Children5
EducationNeedham Broughton High School
Alma materUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BS, JD)

Early life and education

Chris Dillon was born and raised in Raleigh, the youngest of C.A. and Mildred Dillon’s five children. He attended public schools throughout his childhood, graduating from Needham Broughton High School. Dillon earned his B.S. in Business Administration and his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.[2] In 2018, Dillon graduated from Duke University with an LL.M. degree.[3]

Family

Judge Dillon is married to Ann (née Finley), a special education teacher with whom he has had five children:  Sally, Matt, Anna, Molly, and Sam.[4]

Career

Following law school, Judge Dillon practiced law at Young Moore Henderson in Raleigh, focusing on administrative, business, and real estate law.

Judge Dillon has been licensed by the North Carolina Real Estate Commission as a broker for over twenty years and has worked as a commercial real estate broker where he created and managed a number of investment real estate entities.

In 2006, Judge Dillon helped start a community bank where he served as a Senior Vice President. In 2011, he returned to private practice, representing a number of small business owners, professionals, and a state occupational licensing board.

In 2012, Judge Dillon was elected to an eight-year term on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.  Judge Dillon has been an adjunct professor, teaching real estate focused courses at both UNC School of Law and Campbell School of Law.  In 2018, Judge Dillon was awarded his LLM degree from the Duke University School of Law in the field of Judicial Studies.

Throughout his career, Judge Dillon has served on a number of civic boards and committees, including DHIC, Inc. (formerly Downtown Housing Improvement Corporation), the North Carolina Bar Association, and the Friends of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.  He has taught youth Sunday School at Edenton Street United Methodist Church since 1990.[5]

In 2020, Judge Dillon was re-elected to another eight-year term on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Following his re-election, he was appointed to serve as Chair of the North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission [citation needed]

Electoral history

2020

North Carolina Court of Appeals (Seat 6) election, 2020[6]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanChris Dillon (incumbent) 2,769,020 51.95%
DemocraticGray Styers2,561,09048.05%
Total votes5,330,110 100%
Republican hold

2012

North Carolina Court of Appeals (Thigpen seat) election, 2012[7]
PartyCandidateVotes%
NonpartisanChris Dillon 1,779,906 52.74%
NonpartisanCressie Thigpen (incumbent)1,594,79947.26%
Total votes3,374,705 100%

2010

North Carolina Court of Appeals (Wynn seat) election, 2010[8]
PartyCandidateVotes%
NonpartisanCressie Thigpen (incumbent) 395,220 20.33%
NonpartisanDouglas McCullough 295,619 15.21%
NonpartisanChris Dillon201,87010.39%
NonpartisanAnne Middleton174,5568.98%
NonpartisanDaniel E. Garner153,9717.92%
NonpartisanJewel Ann Farlow151,7477.81%
NonpartisanHarry Payne99,2575.11%
NonpartisanStan Hammer96,4514.96%
NonpartisanMark E. Klass90,5264.66%
NonpartisanPamela M. Vesper90,1164.64%
NonpartisanJohn F. Bloss78,8574.06%
NonpartisanJohn Sullivan69,9713.60%
NonpartisanJ. Wesley Casteen45,6102.35%
Total votes1,943,771 100%

References

Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals
2013–Present
Incumbent
Preceded by Chief Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals
2024–Present
Incumbent