Gunster is proud to announce that attorney Tom Corey has been named the 2024 recipient of the North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice’s Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP) Service Award, an honor presented this year following the cancellation of the 2024 event due to Hurricane Helene. The award highlights Corey’s longstanding, hands-on leadership in advancing lawyer well-being and supporting attorneys in pursuit of sobriety.
Since 2011, Corey has devoted his time to the Lawyer Assistance Program through direct, confidential support of colleagues confronting substance use challenges. In addition to frontline support, Corey has written and spoken extensively on lawyer wellness, including at continuing legal education programs, and has served in a variety of LAP-related roles.
Associate Justice Tamara Barringer, who presented the award, commended Corey’s impact and distinctive ability to reach lawyers in difficult moments. As she remarked, “His real superpower, however, is with LAP interventions and working with lawyers who are not so ready and willing to get help. He has brought lawyers to the LAP and willingly works with challenging LAP clients that are assigned to him. Through openly sharing his own experiences, he provides hope and inspiration to lawyers who continue to struggle.”
The Chief Justice’s LAP Service Award honors exceptional volunteer service and leadership within the Lawyer Assistance Program community. This year’s presentation reflects Corey’s sustained contributions to lawyer wellness and his decades-long commitment to helping attorneys achieve and maintain sobriety.
A lawyer by education and training, and a consultant by nature and experience, Tom works to assist organizations with their information governance, privacy, and artificial intelligence governance programs. Tom takes a complex array of laws, regulations, and requirements and strives to create policies, procedures, and programs that are easy to understand, implement, and monitor.
Tom has worked with a wide variety of industries, including those associated with the automotive industry, banking, consumer products, entertainment, financial services, gaming, government advocacy, hospitality, insurance, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, religious organizations, software developers, and telecommunications.
