The Hon. Michael S. Adkins is a judge for the Rowan County Superior Court in the 19C Judicial District of the 4th Division in North Carolina. He was elected to the bench on November 8, 2022.
Prior to his election, Adkins was a managing shareholder at Adkins Carter, a law firm he joined in 2019. Before that, he spent time as a partner at Kluttz Reamer (2005 to 2019), a sole practitioner at the Law Office of Michael Adkins (2001 to 2005), an attorney at Whitley, Dooley, Adkins & Jones (1996 to 2001), and an attorney at Wallace & Whitley (1992 to 1996) in Salisbury.
Adkins earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Berea College in 1984. He then completed a J.D. at Wake Forest University School of Law in 1987.
He has been licensed to practice in West Virginia (1987), Kentucky (1988), North Carolina (1988), the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina (1990), and the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia (1987).
After graduating from law school, Adkins began his legal career as an assistant prosecuting attorney for the Mingo County Prosecuting Attorney's Office in West Virginia. He later entered into private practice at Adkins & Adkins before relocating to Winston-Salem, where he joined Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice. Adkins also handled civil litigation, personal injury, traffic, and criminal matters for the Law Office of David R. Tanis.
Born in Kentucky, Adkins was raised in West Virginia. He and his wife, Cindy, have two grown children. Cindy is a retired teacher for the Rowan-Salisbury School System. The family attends Wyatt’s Grove Baptist Church.
He is registered as a Republican.