SALISBURY — The Salisbury City Council has appointed J. Graham Corriher as full-time city attorney, effective July 2.

Corriher currently is a partner in The Woodson Law Firm.

After the retirement of the previous assistant city manager, the position was reclassified as a full-time city attorney to manage legal matters for the city.

Rivers Lawther has served as part-time attorney for the city while simultaneously working with Woodson Law Firm.

Corriher, a Rowan County native, is an honors graduate of N.C. State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.

At UNC, Corriher was a Chancellor’s Scholar, a member of the Broun National Trial Team, and articles and notes editor for the law school’s First Amendment Law Review.

Before attending UNC, he was a social studies teacher at North Rowan High School.

Corriher began his law career with Tharrington Smith LLP in Raleigh. In 2014, he moved back to Salisbury, joining Koontz, Smith & Corriher as a staff attorney.

Corriher has been a partner with the Woodson firm since 2015. He previously did contract work for the city.

“We’re excited to have Graham join our team on a full-time basis,” said City Manager Lane Bailey. “Having worked with Graham in the past, I found him to be smart, knowledgeable about municipal legal matters and well-respected by his colleagues. I think he will make a fine addition to our staff. In addition, I’d like to thank Rivers for his dedication to the city of Salisbury, and we look forward to recognizing his service formally in the near future.”

“Salisbury is home,” said Corriher. “People everywhere search for the type of community we live in here. It was the people and the sense of community that convinced my wife and I several years ago to leave successful law and health careers in Raleigh and Durham and come home to work and raise our family.

“To have the confidence of the City Council to represent this community, and to work alongside such talented and dedicated staff to help meet this council’s vision for our community, is a great honor,” he said.