Thursday, September 18, 2025 | Greensboro, North Carolina
Donald R. Vaughan was presented with the John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award on September 18, 2025, at Starmount Forest Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina. State Bar Vice-President Kevin G. Williams presented the award along with State Bar Councilor Judge Patrice A. Hinnant.
Born and raised in Greensboro, Mr. Vaughan has deep roots in his community — civic, religious, and family. He graduated with Highest Honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1974, earned a master’s in public administration from American University in 1976, and received his Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1979, where he served on the Wake Forest Law Review. Prior to law school, he also worked for Governor Jim Hunt, gaining early experience in state government.
For nearly four decades, Mr. Vaughan has practiced law from his office in downtown Greensboro. He is admitted to practice in North Carolina, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and multiple federal district courts. His practice encompasses both criminal and civil matters, including defending clients in DWIs and felony charges, and guiding individuals and businesses through civil disputes, real estate closings, wills, trusts, licensing, and more. Throughout his career, Mr. Vaughan has provided professional services to numerous community groups and individuals who need help and are unable to afford legal fees.
Mr. Vaughan’s devotion to public service is equally distinguished. He was elected to seven terms on the Greensboro City Council, including two as Mayor Pro Tem, where he championed civic leadership and equal justice. He later served two terms in the North Carolina Senate, rising to the role of Deputy Leader. During his tenure, he served as Vice Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and authored Susie’s Law, one of the nation’s toughest statutes on animal cruelty. He also chaired the re-write of North Carolina’s Alcohol Beverage Control laws — the first in 75 years — and authored the Founding Principles Act, requiring all high school students to study the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Federalist Papers to understand the foundation of American rights and freedoms.
Mr. Vaughan has served on numerous committees of the North Carolina Bar Association, including the Legislative Advisory Committee, and has taught numerous CLE courses over the years.
His leadership extended beyond elected office. Mr. Vaughan received gubernatorial appointments to the North Carolina Courts Commission and the State Banking Commission, serving continuously for over 12 years. He has lectured extensively on banking matters across the state and has served on the boards for several banks. Notably, he rang the opening bell on the New York Stock Exchange on January 1, 2000, representing Blue Ridge Bank at the turn of the new millennium.
Mr. Vaughan has also contributed extensively to civic life through service on boards including the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, Greensboro Merchants Association, Greensboro Housing Coalition, and North Carolina Citizens for Business & Industry.
In addition to his legal and civic work, Mr. Vaughan is a dedicated educator. He has served as an adjunct professor at Wake Forest Law School for the past 11 years, teaching State and Local Government, and previously taught a similar class at Elon Law School. He has also served as an adjunct professor in the Master of Public Administration program at UNC-Greensboro and held a lectureship at American University. His teaching has inspired countless students, including his daughter, Cat, a law student at Elon University and Dean’s Scholar, who plans to carry forward her father’s legacy in law.
For his extraordinary career, Mr. Vaughan has received numerous honors, including induction into the North Carolina Bar Association’s Legal Practice Hall of Fame in 2021, two-time recipient of the Leader in the Law Award from Lawyers Weekly, the Distinguished Service Award from the Greensboro Bar Association, and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Wake Forest Law also recognizes him as one of its most accomplished alumni.
Beyond the courtroom and classroom, Mr. Vaughan is known for his humor, character, and love of community. An avid trainer of retrievers, his dog Remington has competed successfully for a national championship and over 50 field trials. His work in animal advocacy was commemorated in Susie’s Hope, in which he was portrayed by actor Jon Provost.
Over his career, Mr. Vaughan has hosted governors, congressional candidates, candidates for the judiciary, state cabinet candidates, and numerous local officials. A Fellow of the North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership and former head cheerleader at UNC-Chapel Hill, he exemplifies the ideal of service both as a lawyer and as a citizen.
Simply stated, Mr. Vaughan has answered the call every time — in local government, state government, the classroom, and as a mentor to future lawyers.
Taken together — his decades of dedicated legal practice, leadership in city government and the state senate, contributions to legal education, civic engagement, and personal devotion to community — Donald R. Vaughan embodies the highest ideals of the legal profession.
