Phylicia M Powers
Attorney Phylicia M. Powers is a dedicated criminal defense attorney, educator, and trial advocate whose career reflects a deep commitment to justice, public service, and the development of future lawyers. A proud graduate of North Carolina Central University School of Law, she returns to her alma mater as clinical director of the Criminal Defense Clinic, bringing more than 15 years of legal experience, extensive courtroom advocacy, and a longstanding record of mentoring aspiring attorneys.
A native of Duplin County, North Carolina, and raised in Mystic, Connecticut, Professor Powers graduated from the Williams School before earning a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland, College Park, with concentrations in Criminology/Criminal Justice and African American Studies. Following graduation, she served as a middle grades teacher in Duplin County and worked with the Community Boys & Girls Club of Wilmington, experiences that strengthened her passion for education, advocacy, and service.
Professor Powers earned her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 2011 and was admitted to the North Carolina Bar that same year. While in law school, she distinguished herself as a trial advocate, competing in numerous intra- and inter-school advocacy competitions, including two years as a member of the Texas Young Lawyers Association National Trial Competition team. While a student, she served on the NCCU School of Law Trial Advocacy’s Executive Board.
Throughout her legal career, Professor Powers has represented clients across North Carolina in both the indigent and private defense sectors. She began her practice as an assistant public defender for North Carolina’s 14th Judicial District in Durham, where she served for eight years before entering private practice in 2019. Her experience spans juvenile and adult criminal defense, and she has successfully negotiated and litigated cases ranging from misdemeanors to serious felony matters, including violent crimes, drug trafficking, sex offenses, robbery, assault, and homicide. She is the proud owner/managing attorney of PowersHouse Law.
Practicing throughout the state has afforded Professor Powers a broad perspective on the criminal justice system and firsthand experience navigating the distinct challenges of both rural and urban courts. Working with diverse communities, prosecutors, judges, and clients has strengthened her understanding of the complexities of criminal defense practice and informs the practical, client-centered approach she brings to the classroom and clinical instruction.
Since joining the faculty as an adjunct professor in 2017, Professor Powers has become an integral part of the NCCU School of Law community. Initially, she coached second- and third-year students competing in the American Association for Justice Trial Advocacy Competition, later providing classroom instruction for Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Trial Practice, Professional Responsibility, and bar exam readiness courses. She has also served as a guest lecturer on criminal defense, juvenile law, and the school-to-prison pipeline and frequently serves as a judge for trial advocacy courses and advocacy competitions.
In addition to her work at NCCU School of Law, Professor Powers previously taught at Strayer University, where she instructed undergraduate and graduate students in Business Law, Law, Ethics and Corporate Governance, and Critical Thinking. She has also presented at professional legal education programs, including the Juvenile Defender Conference hosted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Government.
Professor Powers’s distinguished service to the legal profession has earned recognition as one of the National Black Lawyers Top 100. She is an active member of the North Carolina Bar Association, the Wake County Bar Association, the Wake County Academy of Trial Lawyers and the National Black Lawyers. She is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc Duplin County Alumnae Chapter (initiated at the Kappa Phi Chapter).
As clinical director of the Criminal Defense Clinic, Professor Powers combines extensive courtroom experience with a passion for experiential legal education. She is committed to preparing practice-ready attorneys through rigorous advocacy training, ethical leadership, and meaningful client representation while continuing NCCU School of Law’s tradition of producing lawyers dedicated to justice and public service.