[1][2] Under his leadership, the court "expanded civil rights, took a new approach to criminal justice, and increased available remedies in tort law.

[2] He was appointed to the North Carolina Superior Court, 18th district, by Governor Daniel Killian More on July 1, 1967.

[3] Exum resigned from the North Carolina Supreme Court to run against the governor's appointee in the next statewide election.

[2] When he retired from the bench, a newspaper noted that Exum was “known for, among other things, his ability to uphold a death sentence despite personal objections to capital punishment.

And though he was consistently successful at the polls, he took a very visible role in urging the state to change from electing to appointing judges.

[8] Exum is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association, serving on the task force on alternative to litigation, the committee on judicial independence, and the appellate rules study commission.

[8] He was a board member of the Conference on Chief Justices, chair of the Standing Committee on Criminal Justice Standards, and a member of the Judicial Conference of the United States, the International Society of Barristers, and the Gilford Inn of Court.

[2] He served on the board of the Paul Green Foundation, Sustainable North Carolina, and Habitat for Humanity.