Prior to his election to the bench, Judge Eagles was in private practice in Raleigh. He was Counsel to the Speaker of the House and earlier had been a Special Deputy Attorney General. He argued cases regularly before the N.C. Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court, and he also has argued in the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States. For more than 30 years, he has been an adjunct professor at Campbell University's School of Law, and he has lectured at numerous legal seminars.

While serving on the Attorney General's staff, he was Revisor of Statutes and Secretary to the N.C. General Statutes Commission. He served from 1970 until 1982 as Secretary, Draftsman and Member of the Criminal Code Commission. He also served as head of the Attorney General's Legislative Drafting Service,thereafter serving as a Special Prosecutor .In '76 he became Counsel to the Speaker of the NC House of Representatives. He practiced law privately in Raleigh from '79 until his election to the Court of Appeals in 1983. He served as a judge and as Chief Judge from '98 until '04 when he retired to help lead the Appellate Litigation Division at Smith Moore LLP .As chief Judge he implemented the appellate mediation rules authorized in 2002 and personally mediated a number of appellate cases .At Smith Moore he continues the ADR practice serving as a AAA arbitrator and a NCDRC mediator in addition to his other appellate litigation duties. An active churchman ,he is an Elder, trustee and former deacon and Chair of the Board at Hillyer Memorial Christian Church .He has been Chair of the Trustees of Barton College as well as member of the Board of Visitors of Wake Forest University School of Law.In '91 he retired from the USAF Reserve with the rank of Colonel having received the Legion of Merit . In Nov 2008,he received the Wake County Bar's 2009 Chief Justice Joseph Branch Professionalism Award.

• Wake Forest University School of Law, J.D., 1964
• Wake Forest University, B.A., 1961

• Past President, Tenth Judicial District Bar Association, 2006
• Past President, Wake County Bar Association, 2006
• North Carolina Bar Association

American Law Institute,Life member, National Conference of 'Commissioners on Uniform State Laws,Life member

• Council Member, ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to Bar, 2002 to present
• American Bar Association, House of Delegates, representing ad seriatum Wake County /10th Judicial District Bar, the ABA's Appellate Judges Conference and the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar

• American Law Institute, life member
• Uniform Laws Conference, life member
• Chair, N.C. Judicial Standards Commission, 1994-1997
• Member, Board of Visitors, Wake Forest University School of Law
• Board of Trustees Chairperson, Barton College

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