Dr. Alicia Mitchell-Mercer
DPA, PMP, CSM, LPP, NCCP, SCCP, ACP, RP
Director of Strategic Projects, Policy Analyst
Alicia serves as the Director of Strategic Projects and Policy Analyst. As Director of Strategic Projects, she is responsible for generating ideas to improve public policy concerning civil access to justice as well as shaping those ideas into formal proposals for project development.
Alicia's role as a policy analyst has significantly impacted the organization's influence and direction. Her authorship of the 2023 JFAP Legislative Proposal, which was presented to the North Carolina General Assembly, is an excellent example. The proposal garnered strong support not only from the US Department of Justice but also from a wide range of other organizations.
Work Beyond JFAP
Aside from her work at JFAP, Mitchell-Mercer is the Director of Project Management at Lex Project Management Consulting Group, a Project Manager at a Charlotte litigation law firm, and a FINRA Securities Arbitrator.
Her education includes a Bachelor of Science in Paralegal Studies from Charter Oak State College and a Master of Science in Project Management from Missouri State University, with a focus on Legal Project Management. Her Master's Thesis examined how predictive project management and value-based billing affect profitability in the legal services industry. She has a Doctorate in Public Administration from California Baptist University.
Mitchell-Mercer has served in a variety of legal organizations, including the North Carolina Bar Association Paralegal Division as a Council Member and Chair of the Technology, Publications, and Communications committees, as well as NALA | The Paralegal Association as Chair of the Continuing Education Council and a member of its Board of Directors. She serves as Utilization Co-Chair for the North Carolina Bar Association's Paralegal Division. She has received the North Carolina Judicial Branch Service Award twice, as well as the 2022 Pro Bono Honor Society Award and the Distinguished Paralegal Award in 2021. In addition, she is a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem in North Carolina.
Mitchell-Mercer was named to the North Carolina State Bar Subcommittee on Regulatory Change (2021-2022). She serves on the steering committee for the Future of Justice Work Conference at Arizona State University. She also serves on the Regulatory Innovation Working Group at the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS). She has contributed to a number of publications on regulatory reform and civil access to justice, including two IAALS reports. She has attended numerous conferences and meetings across the country. Justice Richard Dietz appointed her as Special Advisor to the North Carolina Equal Access to Justice Commission in 2023. Chief Justice Paul M. Newby appointed her as a full Member of the Commission for 2024-2026. She continues to advocate for North Carolinians' and all Americans' right to have meaningful access to the civil justice system.
Connect with Mitchell-Mercer through her LinkedIn profile.