- The ABA’s Concise Guide to Lawyer Specialty Certification
- Benefits to Become Board Certified - ABA Video
- Board Certified Members
- How to Become Board Certified in DUI Defense Law
- Apply for Certification
- Apply for Re-Certification Renewal
- Board Certified Senior Specialist
- Rules Governing Board Certification
- Preparing for the Exam

William J. Kennedy, III
Cummings & Kennedy Law Firm, PLLC
613 Cedar Street Suite A
Beaufort, NC 28516
Phone: 252-728-1208
Website: encattorneys.com

About William J. Kennedy, III
Joe Kennedy is a former prosecutor who has successfully handled tens of thousands of felony and misdemeanor criminal cases in Carteret county, including hundreds of DWI trials. He has attended concentrated training courses in a variety of areas, including the Intox EC/IR II (Intoximeter) Operator School Conducted by the NC Department of Health and Human Services, as well as DWI Detection & Standardized Field Sobriety Testing promulgated by NHTSA. Joe Kennedy has lived in Carteret County since 2009 and resides in Morehead City with his wife, Natalie. Prior to joining Cummings & Kennedy in June of 2012, Joe prosecuted thousands of criminal and traffic cases, including hundreds of Driving While Impaired offenses for District Attorney Scott Thomas in the district’s Beaufort office. Joe attended concentrated training in a variety of areas, including the Intox EC/IR II (Intoximeter) Operator School Conducted by the NC Department of Health and Human Services. As a prosecutor, Joe studied the strategies and tactics of elders in the criminal defense bar, while learning valuable lessons from seasoned law enforcement professionals. He also met his wife, Natalie, who was then employed as a Special Agent with the NC Department of Public Safety’s Alcohol Law Enforcement Division. While employed as a prosecutor, Joe also served on the adjunct faculty at Carteret Community College and taught classes in Criminal Law and Constitutional Law. Joe still serves on the College’s Board of Law and Technology. Prior to joining the District Attorney’s office in April of 2010, Joe was a private solo practitioner and concentrated his practice exclusively in the area of criminal defense. Joe gained admission to the North Carolina State Bar in 2006, the same year that he graduated from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. Joe graduated in the top 20% of his class and earned a spot on the Dean’s List every semester. While At Cumberland, Joe was president of the school’s Federalist Society chapter and North Carolina student Bar Association. While in law school, Joe interned as a Civilian Summer Law Clerk at the Joint Law Center aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. That experience gave him an appreciation for the unique legal issues that face the men and women in uniform who are stationed near the Crystal Coast. Joe received his BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from UNC Chapel Hill in 2000. While at Chapel Hill, Joe was a member and treasurer of the Upsilon Chapter of Kappa Alpha Order. Joe also interned with (then) Congressman Richard Burr’s Washington, DC office. After graduation, Joe worked in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina before attending law school.
Contact William J. Kennedy, III
Provide some details about your situation, but remember not to include sensitive information. An attorney-client relationship is only formed once an attorney formally agrees to represent you.
Find an Attorney
Enter your city, state, or Zip code below to locate a qualified attorney who has demonstrated a commitment to defend those accused of DUI and related crimes.
Members in
the Spotlight
04/22/2025Christopher McKinney |
Christopher McKinney: NCDD is happy to spotlight member Christopher McKinney of Houston, Texas. Chris currently serves as the co-chair of the Impaired Driving Task Force and an NCDD Faculty Member and is a partner at the Murphy & McKinney Law Firm, P.C. Born and raised in Houston, Chris recounts that he “grew up in a law firm,” accompanying his mom to...
FROM OUR BLOG
Ethics Task Force Blog
04/15/2025
Written by Jonathan Dichter The Heart of Client Care: Moving Beyond Case Management In the legal profession, we often talk about "case management" - the systems and processes that keep our cases moving efficiently. But what about *client care*? True client care goes beyond deadlines and filings; it's about treating clients as *people*-scared, uncertain, and in need of guidance. And when done...
Personal Contact: Using the Officer's Observations Against Them
03/10/2025
Written by Charles GoodwinEdited by Michelle Behan and Steven Hernandez The typical DUI investigation has three phases. It begins with the vehicle in motion and focuses on driving patterns that officers are trained might indicate impairment. Next is personal contact, where the officer will observe physical manifestations that are also purportedly correlated with alcohol ingestion and impairment. Finally, the officer will...