JOHN R. HEMPHILL

Contact Information

P (919) 881-2236
F (919) 783-8991
E jhemphill@rl-law.com

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John R. Hemphill, Associate, Estate Planning

John R. (“Jay”) Hemphill is an associate attorney at the law firm of Ragsdale Liggett PLLC, where he practices in the firm's estate planning and litigation departments.  Jay is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C., U.S. Courts-Martial arising under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts, and all North Carolina Courts.

Jay focuses his practice on trust and estate planning, trust and estate administration and general civil litigation.  Jay is honored to assist clients in meeting their goals in estate planning, including estate and gift tax planning, probate avoidance and asset management through the use of a variety of trusts.  Jay is currently a candidate for the LL.M. degree in taxation from the University of Alabama School of Law.  In addition to his estate planning practice, Jay represents clients in a wide range of civil litigation matters including representing creditors, lien claimants and general business representation.

Prior to joining Ragsdale Liggett PLLC, Jay served as a judge advocate with the United States Air Force at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California and with the 43rd Airlift Wing at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina. As a judge advocate, Jay practiced extensively before military courts-martial and assisted military members in planning their estates. During his service, he was awarded two Air Force Commendation Medals, which recognize the achievement and contributions of Air Force members.   Jay is a past president of High Noon Toastmasters and speaks regularly at seminars on estate planning.

A Civil War and military history enthusiast, Jay authored articles and book reviews for a number of national magazines, including Blue and Gray and The Air and Space Power Journal. Jay’s civic and charitable work includes volunteering at the Samaritan Inn, a center focused on combating homelessness and hunger in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Jay volunteered to serve as an attorney “coach” with the Desert High School Mock Trial team in Edwards, California.  Jay completed the Walt Disney World and Marine Corps Marathons in 2007, and is currently training for the 2008 Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C.

Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Jay received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1998. He received his Juris Doctor from the Wake Forest University School of Law in 2001 and was admitted to the North Carolina Bar. Jay was honored to receive the E. McGruder Faris Memorial Award for exhibiting high standards of character, leadership and scholarship for the graduating class of 2001 from the Wake Forest University School of Law.

Jay and his wife, Melinda, live in Raleigh with their son. Melinda is an attorney in Raleigh.

Keeping the IRS at bay is job one (Article from Triangle Business Journal)