Joe Kennedy is a former prosecutor who has successfully handled tens of thousands of criminal cases.Joe Kennedy is a former prosecutor who has successfully handled tens of thousands of criminal cases.
SUMMARY: Joe Kennedy is a former prosecutor who has successfully handled tens of thousands of criminal cases, including hundreds of DWI trials. He has attended concentrated training courses in a variety of areas, including the Intox EC/IR II (Intoximeter) Operator School Conducted by the NC Department of Health and Human Services, as well as DWI Detection & Standardized Field Sobriety Testing promulgated by NHTSA. He has also attended the Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) promulgated by NHTSA.
Joe Kennedy has lived in Carteret County since 2009 and resides in Morehead City with his wife, Natalie. Prior to joining Cummings & Cummings in June of 2012, Joe prosecuted thousands of criminal and traffic cases, including hundreds of Driving While Impaired offenses for District Attorney Scott Thomas in the district’s Beaufort office. Joe attended concentrated training in a variety of areas, including the Intox EC/IR II (Intoximeter) Operator School Conducted by the NC Department of Health and Human Services. As a prosecutor, Joe studied the strategies and tactics of elders in the criminal defense bar, while learning valuable lessons from seasoned law enforcement professionals. He also met his wife, Natalie, who was then employed as a Special Agent with the NC Department of Public Safety’s Alcohol Law Enforcement Division.
While employed as a prosecutor, Joe also served on the adjunct faculty at Carteret Community College and taught classes in Criminal Law and Constitutional Law. Joe still serves on the College’s Board of Law and Technology.
Prior to joining the District Attorney’s office in April of 2010, Joe was a private solo practitioner and concentrated his practice exclusively in the area of criminal defense.
Joe gained admission to the North Carolina State Bar in 2006, the same year that he graduated from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. Joe graduated in the top 20% of his class and earned a spot on the Dean’s List every semester. While At Cumberland, Joe was president of the school's Federalist Society chapter and North Carolina student Bar Association.
While in law school, Joe interned as a Civilian Summer Law Clerk at the Joint Law Center aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. That experience gave him an appreciation for the unique legal issues that face the men and women in uniform who are stationed near the Crystal Coast.
Joe received his BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from UNC Chapel Hill in 2000. While at Chapel Hill, Joe was a member and treasurer of the Upsilon Chapter of Kappa Alpha Order. Joe also interned with (then) Congressman Richard Burr’s Washington, DC office. After graduation, Joe worked in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina before attending law school.
Joe is a member of the Carteret County Bar, District 3-B Bar, N.C. Bar Association and North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers. He limits his practice Criminal, DWI and Traffic law to ensure that his clients get the maximum amount of attention and resources for the best possible outcome. When not at work, he enjoys boating, hunting and fishing with his wife, Natalie, and Labrador Retriever, Boone.
Practice areas
16 years
16 years
16 years
16 years
Languages spoken
English, Spanish
Cummings & Kennedy Law Firm, PLLC
613 Cedar St
Ste. A
Beaufort, NC, 28516-1901
State | Status | Acquired | Updated |
---|---|---|---|
NC | Active | 2006 | 04/28/2022 |
Legal answers | 18 |
Legal guides | 0 |
Award name | Grantor | Date Granted |
---|---|---|
AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated | Martindale-Hubbell | 2015 |
Clients' Choice Award | AVVO | 2015 |
2015 Client Satisfaction Award | American Institute of DUI/DWI Attorneys | 2015 |
2015 Premier 100 Trial Attorney | American Academy of Trial Attorneys | 2015 |
Superior DWI Attorney | National Advocacy for DUI Defense | 2015 |
Top 10 Under 40 | National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys | 2015 |
Superior DWI Attorney | National Advocacy for DUI Defense | 2014 |
Clients' Choice Award | AVVO | 2014 |
Clients' Choice Award | AVVO | 2013 |
Dean's List | Cumberland School of Law | 2006 |
Scholar of Merit: Sea, Ocean & Coastal Law | Cumberland School Of Law | 2006 |
Dean's List | Cumberland School of Law | 2005 |
Dean's List | Cumberland School of Law | 2004 |
Dean's List | Cumberland School of Law | 2003 |
Title | Company name | Duration |
---|---|---|
Member | Cummings & Kennedy Law Firm, PLLC | 2014 - Present |
Associate Attorney | Cummings & Cummings, PLLC | 2012 - 2014 |
Adjunct Professor | Carteret Community College | 2011 - 2012 |
Assistant District Attorney | State Of North Carolina | 2010 - 2012 |
Member / Manager | Law Office of Joe Kennedy, PLLC | 2009 - 2010 |
Associate Attorney | Brock & Scott, PLLC | 2006 - 2009 |
Civilian Summer Law Clerk | Mcas Cherry Point | 2005 - 2005 |
Association name | Position name | Duration |
---|---|---|
National College of DUI Defense | Member | 2015 - Present |
3B Judicial Bar Association | Treasurer/Secretary | 2015 - Present |
DUI Defense Lawyers Association | Member | 2015 - Present |
Connect Carteret Steering Committee | Member | 2014 - Present |
National Advocacy for DUI Defense | Member | 2014 - Present |
North Carolina Advocates for Justice | Member | 2012 - Present |
Carteret Community College Law & Technology Advisory Board | Member | 2011 - Present |
Carteret County Bar Association | Member | 2009 - Present |
3B Judicial Bar Association | Member | 2009 - Present |
North Carolina Bar Association | Member | 2007 - Present |
North Carolina State Bar | Member | 2006 - Present |
Federalist Society Cumberland Chapter | President | 2005 - 2006 |
North Carolina Student Bar Association - Cumberland Chapter | President | 2005 - 2006 |
School name | Degree | Graduated |
---|---|---|
Samford University, Cumberland School of Law | JD | 2006 |
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill | BA - Bachelor of Arts | 2000 |
West Forsyth High School | High School Diploma | 1996 |
Conference name | Title | Date |
---|---|---|
Introduction to Criminal Justice - BLET Bridgeway Program | State & Federal Court System | 2016 |
NC Teen Court 17th Annual Summit Event | Scoring Judge - Mock Trial Competition | 2015 |
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Russell Alexander, Criminal defense Attorney on Apr 17, 2016
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
Joe Kennedy is a highly skilled attorney in the areas of traffic law and criminal defense. He is a zealous and effective advocate for his clients. I recommend him without hesitation.
Cecil Harvell, Criminal defense Attorney on Apr 4, 2016
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
I endorse this lawyer. Joe is a fine and strong addition to our professional community and we are fortunate that he has chosen Carteret County as home for his family. It is without reservation that I refer clients to Joe.
Russell Alexander, Criminal defense Attorney on Apr 17, 2016
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
Joe Kennedy is a highly skilled attorney in the areas of traffic law and criminal defense. He is a zealous and effective advocate for his clients. I recommend him without hesitation.
Cecil Harvell, Criminal defense Attorney on Apr 4, 2016
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
I endorse this lawyer. Joe is a fine and strong addition to our professional community and we are fortunate that he has chosen Carteret County as home for his family. It is without reservation that I refer clients to Joe.
Wesley Collins, Criminal defense Attorney on Apr 1, 2016
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
I endorse this lawyer. Joe is one of the very best criminal defense attorneys in this area.
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