Judge Rashad Hauter is a first generation immigrant from Yemen. He grew up working at his family’s small business in Vance County where he later graduated valedictorian from Southern Vance High School. Judge Hauter is the first college graduate in his family, receiving his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He graduated cum laude from Campbell University School of Law where he embraced the practice of law as a calling to serve others. Judge Hauter began his legal career serving Wake County as an assistant district attorney. He then became a statewide resource prosecutor with the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys. Recognizing the importance of thorough and aggressive representation for the citizens of North Carolina, Judge Hauter later decided to serve his community in a broader capacity as a private attorney focusing on criminal defense and immigration law. On January 6, 2021, Judge Hauter was appointed by North Carolina governor Roy Cooper to serve as a district court judge in Wake County. On February 12, 2021, Judge Hauter was sworn in as the first Yemeni American judge in the United States.