Alan Z. Thornburg

Alan Z. Thornburg (born January 10, 1967) is an American lawyer and jurist, formerly a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Born in Sylva, North Carolina, Thornburg earned a history degree from Davidson College in 1989 and a Juris Doctor degree from Wake Forest University in 1996. His father, Lacy Thornburg, is a former North Carolina attorney general, state superior court judge, and federal district court judge. After serving as an aide to U.S. Senator Terry Sanford and working in private practice in Asheville, North Carolina from 1997 to 2004, Thornburg was named to the North Carolina Court of Appeals in 2004. He is married and has two children. In 2004, Thornburg sought a full eight-year term on the North Carolina Court of Appeals, but was defeated by Barbara Jackson in the statewide judicial elections.