RALEIGH – Gov. Roy Cooper on Thursday announced the appointment of Allison Riggs to fill a vacancy on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Riggs has been serving as co-executive director and chief counsel for voting rights at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, an organization she joined in 2009.

She was among the attorneys that successfully represented Common Cause in the state court case of Harper v. Hall. Earlier this year, that case resulted in the North Carolina Supreme Court issuing a landmark ruling against the General Assembly’s illegal gerrymandering of legislative and congressional districts. Riggs was also a key member of the legal team defending that historic ruling this month when legislators appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case now named Moore v. Harper.

The following is a statement from Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina:

“Allison is an extraordinary attorney with true dedication to the law, justice and our constitution. She has been a tireless advocate for protecting the rights of all North Carolinians, standing up for marginalized communities and holding those in power accountable to the people of our state. We congratulate Allison on joining the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

We thank the entire team at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice for their excellent representation and we look forward to our continued partnership with their outstanding attorneys and staff in our crucial fight to protect democracy.”

Common Cause North Carolina is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.