Geoff Hulse ’85 receives John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award 

B. Geoffrey Hulse ‘85 of Goldsboro has been selected by the North Carolina State Bar as a 2021 recipient of the John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award. He was presented with the award on Jan. 28, 2022, at the Wayne County Courthouse in Goldsboro. North Carolina State Bar President-Elect Marcia H. Armstrong presented the award.

The award program honors current and retired members of the North Carolina State Bar (NCSB) throughout the state who have demonstrated exemplary service to the legal profession. Members of the Bar are encouraged to nominate colleagues who have demonstrated outstanding service to the profession. 

A partner at Haithcock Barfield Hulse & King, Hulse has more than 30 years of experience in misdemeanor, DUI, felony and traffic defense. According to his firm, “Geoff was built to be a criminal defense attorney. He has a well-earned reputation as a skillful attorney dedicated to fighting for the rights of his clients. The opportunity to fight for those rights is a great privilege for him.” 

The NCSB press release adds, “He is known as a lawyer who can identify weaknesses in the state’s cases, counsel his clients as to their options and best courses of action and communicate his clients’ best positions zealously and effectively to juries or the judge. Mr. Hulse has represented countless indigent clients, never hesitating to take on difficult cases.” 

Hulse served three terms on the North Carolina State Bar Council, as councilor for the Eighth District (now Ninth District). As an active member of the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA), Hulse serves on the BarCARES Board, and he actively participates in the activities of the district bar and the Wayne County Bar. He also was instrumental in establishing the Tommy Jarrett Citizen-Lawyer Award, which is given in honor of Tommy Jarrett, the former State Bar President, who personified lawyers giving to the local community. 

Hulse also serves his community through the Wayne County Board of Elections (board member and chair), the after-school literacy programs, the Boys and Girls Club, Friends of the Wayne County Public Library, Literacy Connections of Wayne County, Wayne Charitable Partnership and a multitude of other programs and organizations that strive to improve literacy, facilitate cohesive communities and encourage public involvement. As a long-time member of the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation (DGDC), he works to accomplish the DGDC’s vision to develop diversity and vibrancy in downtown Goldsboro.  

Hulse was recently named incoming chair of the Wayne Community College Board of Trustees and he has served as a board member and past chair of the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce. He has supported the United Way of Wayne County for many years by leading lawyer fundraising campaigns, and his service is also displayed through his commitment to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. Hulse has been the recipient of many awards noting his contribution to his community, such as The United Way of Wayne County Emil Rosenthal Volunteer Service Award, The Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation Lifetime Achievement Award, the Goldsboro Rotary & Rotary International’s Paul Harris Award, the Goldsboro Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Award and The Order of the Long Leaf Pine. 

A self-described “amateur actor,” Hulse showcases his talents in local theatre productions through the Center Stage Theater and Wayne Community College. On stage, he has given life to many characters including Norman in “On Golden Pond,” the Wizard in the “Wizard of Oz,” but “his most compelling performance was his portrayal of Atticus Finch alongside his daughter, Lura as Scout, in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ at Goldsboro’s reinvigorated Paramount Theater,” the press release continued. “B. Geoffrey Hulse is indeed a modern-day Atticus, unafraid to take on difficult cases and quick to call out injustice when he encounters it.”