Attorney
Ralph L. Stephens
Ralph L. Stephens co-founded Thigpen Blue & Stephens in 1976. He received his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College in 1961, and earned his law degree from Rutgers University Law School in 1975. Ralph was admitted to practice law in North Carolina’s state and federal courts in 1975. In 1980, he was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. On April 6, 1997, after thirty of years of practice with the firm, Ralph succumbed to cancer.
Ralph was born on December 29, 1938, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. In 1964, after serving in the US Navy, Ralph enrolled in Drew University Theological School in Madison, New Jersey. Shortly thereafter, he served his first pastorate in Newark at St. Matthew’s Methodist Church. Ralph later served as the Director of Urban Ministries of the Metropolitan United Methodist Ministry. In 1967, in the aftermath of the Newark riots that left several residents dead or injured, Ralph determined that his ministry to the underrepresented would be enhanced by his study of law.
After graduating from Rutgers, Ralph returned to North Carolina, and was appointed to the pastorate of St. Matthew A.M.E. Church in Raleigh, where he served for 17 years. In 1992, he was named pastor of Gaines Chapel A.M.E. Church in Efland, North Carolina, where he served until his death.
Ralph Stephens’ commitment to social justice was embodied in his ministry and law practice. He was a member of the founding board of Planned Parenthood of Greater Raleigh, and served for many years as the Dean of the Western North Carolina Conference Board of Examiners of the A.M.E. Church. His professional affiliations included the American Bar Association, National Bar Association, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers. He also was a member of the Iota Iota Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and a life member of the NAACP.