Charles Gordon Brown Brown & Bunch PLLC, Chapel Hill

My favorite place is Seven Mile Farm, our family farm in western Orange County near Efland. I can walk the roads, the fields and the woods in any season, in any weather and in any mood. It is as exciting and energizing to me today as it was in my pre-teens. Nothing fills the spirit like a hike at Seven Mile Farm.

Vita: Born July 31, 1950, in Winston-Salem; bachelor’s from UNC Chapel Hill and law degree from the University of Virginia; wife, four sons and a daughter. Why he chose this field: Dirt happens. My first employer (Alston, Miller & Gaines, now Alston & Bird) emphasized an interdisciplinary approach and insisted that I receive significant substantive exposure to real estate, litigation, construction law, secured transactions and similar areas. Being able to try a real-estate-related case has made me a better real-estate lawyer, and being able to close a complex real-estate-based transaction has made me a better litigator. What he’d be if not a lawyer: A geologist. (Dirt is dirt.) Memorable case: Our representation of a Northeastern lender caught up in the wave of time-share frauds in the mid-1980s had all the intrigue of a Tom Clancy novel — and portions of it took more than a decade to complete. Not counting the gun battles (literally), lawsuits and nights spent in the vault of a sympathetic register of deeds, just straightening out the title morass was one of the more challenging matters we have ever undertaken. Don’t ask him to: Go to the dentist.

Susan Freya Olive Olive & Olive PA, Durham

When I realized I would have some spare time as I finished my term as chair of the Board of Law Examiners, I decided that I’d get a dog I could show that would be small enough to travel with me. That’s how we got Besita, a Havana silk puppy. She comes to the office every day. We’ve already got a host of blue ribbons earned at shows from North Carolina to Maryland, but most of all, we’re having a lot of fun.

Vita: Born June 26, 1952, in Durham; bachelor’s from Brown University and law degree from Duke University; husband and three children. Why she chose this field: Whether it’s outdoor lighting fixtures, fishing boats, urinalysis products, genetically modified seeds, pathology equipment, large aquarium pumps, clothing, Web sites or films, there always is something interesting and different to learn. Memorable case: A victory over Electronic Data Systems. We represented a relatively small Virginia manufacturer of power supplies and other electronic equipment. Electronic Data Systems tried to prevent it from registering EDS as its trademark. What she’d be if not a lawyer: A professor. Heroes: My father, who was the first patent attorney in the Research Triangle Park area. His support for racial equality led him to effectively protest segregation in the North Carolina Bar Association. Don’t ask me to: Lie for you, play games with the court or harass the opposing party just because you feel like making them mad.

Robert D. Walker Walker, Allen, Grice, Ammons & Foy LLP, Goldsboro

Robert, my eldest child, is a Down syndrome child. He has been active in Special Olympics for years, and our family often is involved in watching him compete or coaching him at Wayne Country Day School in Goldsboro and other locations. He has been all over the state in various competitions. He was the water boy for his high-school football team, has worked at McDonald’s, been an acolyte at church, and the list goes on and on. The special place for me outside the office would be with my buddy Robert.

Vita: Born June 28, 1949, in Raleigh; bachelor’s from N.C. State and law degree from Wake Forest University; wife and three children. Why he chose this field: It chose me in a unique way — a conflict with a large firm gave me the chance to represent my physician. Memorable case: It’s really a memorable moment. It came in response to my question about how many times this opposing expert had been in the same life-and-death-decision struggle my clients had been facing. His response: “Uh … approximately … never.” What he’d be if not a lawyer: An unsuccessful used-car salesman. Hero: My son Robert; and my partner Jerry Allen, who walks his faith as well as he “talks the talk.” Passions: My family and my church. Recent reading: The William Barclay series on the New Testament. Don’t ask him to: Try another case with a certain Eastern North Carolina attorney.

Carlyn Poole Tharrington Smith, Raleigh

Away from the office, I am likely to be found with my grandsons at home or on my bicycle. My favorite cycling rides are on roads in northern Wake County through beautiful North Carolina woods.

Vita: Born Aug. 22, 1940, in Taylor, Texas; bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas Tech University and law degree from UNC Chapel Hill; two sons and three grandsons. Why she chose this field: I found that the combination offered by family law of complex legal issues and working with individual clients gives me a high continuing level of interest. What she’d be if not a lawyer: My first career was teaching high-school English and American history. Memorable cases: Those cases for trial that involved custody of children in representing a dedicated parent and those cases that involved long marriages that were ending in settlement in which each party treated the other with respect and grace. Passions: My grandsons, cycling, reading and travel. Hero: Theodore Roosevelt. Favorite book: Essays of E.B. White. Don’t ask her to: Take care of your cat.

Amos C. Dawson III Williams Mullen, Raleigh

My special place is our retirement home near Saluda, about a half-mile north of the Greenville, S.C., watershed, which is all totally undeveloped and protected mountain land. My wife, Gail, and I went to Saluda on our honeymoon. We stayed in a cabin at the Orchard Inn, and every year we would go back for our anniversary. Two years ago, we bought a lovely home on top of a ridge on Little Mine Mountain with seven acres of woods. It’s a magical, peaceful, beautiful place with wonderful people.

Vita: Born Feb. 15, 1948, in Southern Pines; bachelor’s and law degrees from UNC Chapel Hill; wife, two sons and two daughters. Why he chose this field: Environmental law was a new area that seemed to show a lot of promise and was more interesting to me than tax, corporate law or other traditional fields. When I graduated from law school in 1975, the Coastal Area Management Act had just been passed, and I became the first staff attorney to the newly formed Coastal Resources Commission. It was the only job I applied for. What he’d be if not a lawyer: Retired in Saluda. When I was younger, I would have loved to have run a summer camp for kids in the mountains. Being a camp counselor was the best all-around job I ever had. Passions: My wife and my relationships with God, my family, friends and clients. I am also passionate about exercise, travel and golf. Don’t ask him to: Hurry up. You’d just be wasting your time.

Robert M. Elliot Elliot Pishko Morgan PA, Winston-Salem

I prefer to be at our cain on the New River near Jefferson in Ashe County. Whether floating in our canoe or kayak, running along its banks, piddling in carpentry or simply watching the waters flow, the cool, clean air of the North Carolina mountains and the clear waters of this unique river keep my mind balanced, my concerns in perspective and my spirits refreshed.

Vita: Born Dec 13, 1950, in Charlotte; bachelor’s from UNC Chapel Hill and law degree form Wake Forest University; wife, son and two daughters. Why he chose this field: After family, a job is the most important self-defining feature in most people’s lives. Consequently, the loss of a job is a loss of a part of that individuual. I like to be part of the resolution of these cases. Memorable cases: Receiving a substantial jury verdict for a specialized broker entitled to a commission for earning millions for his employer; recovering severance and retirement benefits for the president of a company who had been fired after the company was acquired by a competitor; winning a jury verdict for a woman sexually harassed by a law-enforcement officer; and arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court and winning my clients’ Seventh Amendment rights to a jury trial in their claims against their union. What he’d be if not a lawyer: A National Geographic photographer – if I had the tlent. Or a historic carpenter – if I had the skill. Hero: Nelson Mandela. Don’t ask him to: Eat cooked broccoli.

James P. Cooney III Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, Charlotte

My favorite place would be on my bike or taking a swim or on a run and preferably doing all three in the early morning sun at a beautiful location. I spend most of my free time training for triathlons. It allows me to sort through and reorganize my life, to train my emotions and to clear my mind. There is no problem that is not more manageable after a long training session or race.

Vita: Born Oct. 26, 1957, in San Francisco; bachelor’s from Duke University and law degree from University of Virginia; wife and three daughters. Why he chose this field: I always thought that lawyers were supposed to be in the courtroom. Criminal law in particular is one of the highest challenges a courtroom lawyer can have. Memorable cases: I will never forget the expressions on the faces of Allen Gaines’ jury when they chose to unanimously give him life after convicting him of the murder of a police officer, a crime that many in the community wanted him to die for. And I cannot forget watching John Noland, my client and friend for 14 years, be executed by the state. What he’d be if not a lawyer: A high-school social-studies teacher. Hero: I grew up wanting to be Atticus Finch. I have been lucky enough to meet real Atticus Finches. The most impressive is David Bruck, the attorney for Susan Smith and the 4th Circuit capital counsel. He handles the worst of cases with a grace, dignity and wisdom that I hope to achieve someday. Don’t ask him to: Fix anything. I am a mechanical idiot.

John Taggart Genworth Financial Inc., Raleigh

Over a period of about nine years, I built a timber-frame shed, largely from wood sawed from trees that were growing on the land where we built our home. When I am away from the office and relaxing, you will usually find me in the yard, either in the shed or in my garden.

Vita: Born May 14, 1946, in Ogden, Utah; bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Brigham Young University and law degree from University of Washington; wife, five children and 12 grandchildren. Why he chose this field: I found that, as compared with private practice, being part of an integrated business team, where client relationships are long-term and broader in scope, was a more satisfying way to practice law. Memorable case: Helping to take Genworth Financial public in 2004 as part of a $13 billion spinoff from General Electric. What he’d be if not a lawyer: A teacher. Passions: Family and church. My wife and I also enjoy traveling. Hero: My father, a man of great wisdom, gentleness and integrity. Favorite book: Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling by Richard L. Bushman. Don’t ask him to: Change sprinkler pipe. I worked three seasons as a cowboy on a cattle ranch in western Wyoming. Changing sprinkler pipe is still the worst job I have ever actually performed, though digging an M-60 main battle tank out of a Kentucky mudhole runs a close second.

James S. Schenck IV Conner Gwyn Schenck PLLC, Raleigh

Peter C. Buck Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson PA, Charlotte

You’ll often find me over at First Presbyterian Church in Charlotte for choir practice, certainly one of my very favorite things to do. I have been singing in the choir for almost 20 years, having been recruited in a moment of weakness by a desperate music director. I can’t read the music, but I’m loud and I try hard and usually it works out. For me, the time spent rehearsing and singing — generally about four hours a week — is always fun and a great way to put the stress of the work world behind me for a while. I like the singing, I love the people, and I appreciate the time to reflect on important things.

Vita: Born May 8, 1947, in Kinston; bachelor’s and law degrees from Duke University; wife and two sons. Why he chose this field: I’ve always enjoyed transaction work because of the fast pace and because you can be a part of the team that gets important things done for the businesses that we work for. Memorable case: The acquisition by the Spangler family businesses of National Gypsum in 1995 was one I won’t forget. What he’d be if not a lawyer: Probably a teacher. Hero: Winston Churchill (one brave guy). Passions: My family, baseball and good books. Recent reading: Old Filth by the English author Jane Gardam. It’s a terrific story about an English barrister who made his fortune in Hong Kong (thus the acronym FILTH — failed in London try Hong Kong). Don’t ask him to: Keep my office neat. I’m just not capable.