Phil was born in Danville, Virginia on March 26, 1972, to Philip and Pat Berger. Phil graduated from UNC-Wilmington in 1994 with a B.A. in History, and earned his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1999. Phil began his legal career in private practice in 1999. From 2001 through 2006, he joined his father and brother, Kevin, forming The Berger Law Firm.
In 2006, Phil was elected District Attorney in the 17A Prosecutorial District and was re-elected in 2010. In 2013-14, he served as President of the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys. In 2013, Phil represented the National District Attorney's Association in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as a Non-Governmental Observer to the United States v. Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, et al hearings.
From 2015-2016, Phil served as an Administrative Law Judge with the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings. In 2016, Phil was elected to the Court of Appeals.
Phil has a passion for helping young people, and is active in his community. He serves as an assistant coach with the football and baseball teams at Cedar Ridge High School, and has also coached youth football with the Durham Firebirds and Greensboro Eagles. Phil was the founder and chair of Eden Youth Football, and he served as a board member and basketball coach with Bethany Community Middle School.
While serving as District Attorney, Phil was the chair of Project SAFE Rockingham County. A collaboration with the US Attorney's Office and local law enforcement, Project SAFE implemented the 'focused-deterrence' model for reducing violent crime among recidivists and gang members.
Phil has also served as an Advisory Board Member for the Rockingham County Business and Technology Center, President of the Eden Kiwanis Club, and Board member for the Eden Chamber of Commerce.
Phil is married to Jodie Church, a public school teacher. They have two children, Philip III and Will.
North Carolina needs experienced and fair representation at all levels in our judicial system. Phil Berger, Jr. works hard to ensure that our Courts enforce laws as they are written and give reasonable interpretation to regulations to ensure predictability and consistency amongst litigants.
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