Judge Howard Manning, Jr. received both his undergraduate degree and his J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After serving in private practice with Manning Fulton and a four year tour of duty in the Navy, he served on the NC Superior Court from 1988 – 1992 and again from 1996 – 2015.

He is best known for presiding over Leandro v. State of North Carolina, a 1994 case in which he ruled that the state was violating its obligations towards the children in its schools. His tenacity in Leandro and other cases is well-known, and though he retired as a Superior Court judge in 2015 at the mandatory age of 72, he continues to oversee Leandro case hearings.

Judge Manning has received many awards, including the Champion for Children Award from the N.C. Child Advocacy Institute in 2002, the Legislative/Public Policy Award from the N.C. School Psychology Association in 2004, and the Peabody Award from UNC Chapel Hill in 2010. WakeEd is proud to add the 2016 Vernon Malone Friend of Education Award to this impressive list of honors. Judge Manning’s dedication to improving the educational system and providing excellent education to every child stands as a paramount judicial and personal achievement.