Friday night I had the privilege of joining a dinner to honor four retiring (or recently retired) superior court judges who have devoted many years of extraordinary service to the Pattern Jury Instructions Committee.  The North Carolina Pattern Jury Instructions—those enormous volumes providing instructions on all manner of criminal, civil, and motor vehicle issues—are continuously updated through the hard work of a committee of ten trial judges.  Every month these judges pore over the details of new legislation and appellate opinions, and they sacrifice many weekends each year traveling to the School of Government to craft instructions that best reflect current law.  The time commitment is, as they say, “no joke.”