April V. MacBride - North Carolina

April MacBride of Cary, North Carolina has 16 years of practice experience. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. John Fisher College in New York in 1985. In 1990, she received her Juris Doctor degree from the State University of Buffalo in New York and in July of 2000, she relocated to North Carolina. She is married to Jon MacBride who is currently a Cary, North Carolina police officer and PBA member. They have four children. Ms. MacBride is an active member of New Horizon Fellowship where she is a cast member of the Drama Team. She is involved in several school, community and sporting activities.

April MacBride’s practice focuses on Criminal Law, Civil Litigation, and Family Law including divorce, juvenile and parental termination cases. She has 5 years of experience in the Superior and District Courts of Wake and Durham County. She accepts appointments and represents clients through the Indigent Defense Services. Her previous experience includes 6 years of private practice, 6 years as a Public Defender and 2 years as a Law Guardian. She was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar in 2001 and the New York State Bar in 1991. She has been a referral attorney for the PBA since April 2004, responding to critical incidents and representing members in criminal investigations. She was heavily involved in the Michelle Peele termination appeal in Raleigh in 2006, and she has shown a keen interest in helping PBA member in their employment issues, which is a critical need in North Carolina.

As to why April MacBride enjoys representing PBA members she says, “To be quite honest, one of the original reasons I wanted to be a PBA referral attorney is because my husband is a police officer and a member of the PBA. Once I became aware of the wonderful legal benefits the association offered to the officers I knew I had to be a part of it, (besides, even my husband wouldn’t be able to afford me).

Through my experience as a defense attorney, my dealings with police officers have been one mainly of an adversary nature. When I represent an officer as a PBA attorney, it gives us both the opportunity to see and appreciate the different sides of the legal system. It also helps keep me balanced and reminds me that Police Officers can be awesome individuals, yet vulnerable too.

I feel the relationships I have developed through my representation of officers goes far beyond attorney/client. I can say, without a doubt, I am blessed to have had the opportunity to be of service to those who serve us.”