Staff report

The Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education will interview four candidates for the board’s attorney position on Friday.

“We want to find somebody who has experience,” said board chairman, Josh Wagner.

Wagner said they’re also looking for an attorney who would be engaged, able to lead the board legally and show loyalty to the board.

“We want to make sure whoever we get can help us move forward,” he said.

The candidates – Graham Corriher of Koontz, Smith and Corriher in Salisbury; Richard Schwartz of Schwartz and Shaw, P.L.L.C. in Raleigh; Ken Soo of Tharrington Smith in Raleigh and James Middlebrooks of Bell, Davis, Pitt in Charlotte – were chosen from a pool of 12 applicants.

Middlebrooks currently serves as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ attorney. Schwartz was the district’s attorney for the mediation process with county commissioners, and Soo is the district’s litigation attorney. Corriher was formerly employed by Tharrington Smith.

Earlier this year, the board decided to bid out the position for the first time in more than 50 years. Don Sayers of Woodson, Sayers, Lawther, Short, Parrott and Abramson in Salisbury held the position during that time. Woodson applied for the position, but was not selected to advance to the interview round.

The board will meet Friday at 10 a.m. at the district’s administrative offices, 110 S. Long Street in East Spencer.