Meet Justin
He’s more than just a stuffy “Dukie” lawyer, as his professional profile may suggest. Justin is a problem-solving lawyer, UNC Greensboro Spartan and Duke Blue Devil Alum, tandem bike riding dad, Greensboro cheerleader, and member of the Greensboro City Council.
Justin knows the value of hard work
Justin was raised in Western New York by his hardworking parents. The son of a factory worker (turned garbage man turned bus driver) and a mother who spent her life working for those with mental health struggles as well as running her own small business, he learned the value of hard work and giving back early. After the factories continued to close, his parents moved his family to North Carolina in hopes of better economic opportunities.
Following his parent’s lead, he worked hard to get into college at UNC-Greensboro (UNCG) and then again to be admitted to law school at Duke University. After years in New York City working at an international law firm, Justin and his wife Cora longed to return to Greensboro. In 2013 they moved back to the city they loved and laid down roots.
Justin is all about Greensboro
Justin has been a member of the Greensboro City Council since he was appointed in June of 2015. He overwhelmingly won re-election in his own right in November of that year and again in 2017. Before joining Council he was a part of Greensboro’s Minimum Housing Standards Commission where he was focused on making Greensboro a more equitable, safer, and beautiful community for all. Since joining the Council, he has established himself as an independent leader who works to move Greensboro forward by driving change and getting results. More action, fewer words.
One of the new generation of leaders
Justin, a 2016 Triad Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” Award Winner, brings a diverse, business-oriented skill set to City Council. He has a pragmatic and realistic approach to solving problems and getting results. Justin was raised to believe that all people deserve to be heard and represented with well-informed decisions. Every decision that affects Greensboro should be made with the ENTIRE community in mind. Justin believes that this can only be done with fact mining and careful evaluation. This is Justin’s approach to every vote on the dais.
Family man, loves having fun, and is focused on the future
Justin is married to his college sweetheart, Cora, and together they have two small children, Clark and Clara. They are members of Providence Baptist Church. Like most parents, Justin and Cora struggle to match the energy of their kiddos, who go to school at Jones Elementary (Jones) in the Warnersville neighborhood. At Jones, Clark and Clara are quickly becoming fluent in Spanish and are now at the age where they can win at UNO on family game night (more often than Justin cares to admit). Justin looks at the future of Greensboro every day when he sees his family at the breakfast table.
Working professional
In addition to serving on City Council, Justin is a partner at Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard L.L.P., practicing business litigation and white-collar criminal defense. He is an alumnus of UNCG as well as the Duke University School of Law. Prior to joining Brooks Pierce, Justin served as a federal law clerk to Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. of the Middle District of North Carolina in Greensboro. Subsequently, Justin practiced law at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton L.L.P. in New York City, where he represented financial institutions and multi-national corporations in securities and other complex litigation, as well as in criminal and regulatory matters.
A Vote For Our Future
Justin chose to move back to Greensboro because he believes Greensboro has unlimited potential. He hustles every day to make this City better because his young family and yours deserve the strongest community possible.
Justin is proud to be running for mayor. He knows that the mayor sets the agenda and goals for the city. He has a strong vision for Greensboro moving forward and reaching its potential. As mayor he can put those goals on the City’s agenda. Progress needs process and must be on the agenda for it to come to be. Vote Justin Outling for effective leadership, and let’s make real progress together.
Community Involvement
- UNCG Board of Visitors, Co-chair
- Carolina State Bank Board Member
- Greensboro Downtown Parks Inc. Board Member
- Downtown Greenway Oversight Committee Board Member
- Preservation Greensboro Board Member
- Audubon North Carolina Board Member
- Dancing with the Stars for Operation Smile, “Celebrity Dancer”
- Men Can Cook for the Women’s Resource Center, Community “Chef”
- Guilford County Economic Development Alliance Leadership Group
- GSO 2040 (Comprehensive Plan) Advisory Committee (Chair) City of Greensboro
- Audit Committee (Vice-chair) City of Greensboro
Awards
- Selected for Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under Hot List” (2020-2021)
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) Alumni Award for Professional Achievement (2019)
- North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) Citizen Lawyer Award (2019)
- Selected for Black Business Ink Magazine‘s “40 Under 40 Most Influential African Americans in the Piedmont” (2019)
- Selected by his peers for inclusion in Business North Carolina’s “Legal Elite” in the Young Guns category (2018)
- Listed on Greensboro News & Record’s Top 20 People of Influence in Greensboro (2017)
- Triad Business Journal, “40 Under 40” Award (2016)
- Guilford County Association of Black Lawyers, Outstanding Young Lawyer Award (2016)
- Pro Bono Publico Award, Legal Aid Society of New York (for outstanding representation of domestic workers in human trafficking civil suit for unpaid wages)