James Dickson Phillips Jr.

James Dickson Phillips Jr. (September 23, 1922 – August 27, 2017) was a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Early life and education
Born in Scotland County, North Carolina, Phillips grew up in Laurinburg, North Carolina and attended its public schools. He graduated from high school in 1939 as the salutatorian of his graduating class. He earned a bachelor's degree Phi Beta Kappa in 1943 from Davidson College and a law degree in 1948 from University of North Carolina School of Law, where he was associate editor of the school's law review and a member of the Order of the Coif.

Military service
Phillips was a U.S. Army First Lieutenant from 1943 until 1946. He served as a rifle platoon leader in the 17th Airborne Division's 513th Parachute Regiment while it took part in three European campaigns: the Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe. Following a parachute drop over the Rhine River on March 28, 1945, Phillips was wounded, evacuated and remained hospitalized until the end of World War II. Phillips ultimately was awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and a Presidential Unit Citation.

Professional career and later life
Phillips served as the assistant director of the Institute of Government in Chapel Hill, North Carolina from 1948 until 1949, and then he worked in private law practice in Laurinburg, North Carolina from 1949 until 1955. From 1955 until 1959, he worked in private law practice in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

From 1960 until 1964, Phillips was a lecturer and an associate professor of law at University of North Carolina School of Law. He then became a professor of law at the University of North Carolina School of Law from 1964 until 1978, specializing in procedural law. He concurrently served as the school's dean from 1964 until 1974.

On July 20, 1978, President Jimmy Carter nominated Phillips to be a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The United States Senate confirmed Phillips on August 11, 1978. Phillips took senior status on July 31, 1994. Phillips died on August 27, 2017 at his home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.