§ 84‑2.  Persons disqualified.

No justice, judge, magistrate, full‑time district attorney, full‑time assistant district attorney, full‑time public defender, full‑time assistant public defender, clerk, deputy or assistant clerk of the General Court of Justice, register of deeds, deputy or assistant register of deeds, sheriff or deputy sheriff shall engage in the private practice of law. As used in this section, the private practice of law shall not include the performance of pro bono legal services by a lawyer, other than a justice or judge of the general court of justice, who is otherwise disqualified by this section if the pro bono services are sponsored or organized by a professional association of lawyers or a nonprofit corporation rendering legal services pursuant to G.S. 84‑5.1. Persons violating this provision shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor and only fined not less than two hundred dollars ($200.00). (C.C.P., s. 424; 1870‑1, c. 90; 1871‑2, c. 120; 1880, c. 43; 1883, c. 406; Code, ss. 27, 28, 110; Rev., ss. 210, 3641; 1919, c. 205; C.S., s. 198; 1933, c. 15; 1941, c. 177; 1943, c. 543; 1965, c. 418, s. 1; 1969, c. 44, s. 59; 1973, c. 47, s. 2; c. 108, s. 36; 1981, c. 788, s. 1; 1993, c. 539, s. 596; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c); 1995, c. 431, s. 2; 2007‑484, s. 28(a); 2017‑158, s. 26.)