Carl Bolch Jr., a 1967 Duke Law graduate, founder of the Bolch Judicial Institute at Duke Law School, and chairman emeritus of RaceTrac, Inc., passed away on Friday, Dec. 26.
Bolch and his wife, Susan Bass Bolch, established the Bolch Judicial Institute at Duke Law School in 2018 with a transformative gift to Duke Law School and a mission to improve society by advancing and protecting the rule of law. The Institute has since become a global force for strengthening the rule of law, judicial independence, and the administration of justice. Through his visionary philanthropy and deep commitment to the rule of law, Bolch has fundamentally strengthened the judiciary and will inspire generations of judges and legal professionals for generations to come.
“A beloved husband, father, and leader, Carl inspired all he encountered throughout his life. He was especially proud of his relationship with his alma mater, Duke University, highlighted by the establishment of the Carl and Susan Bolch Judicial Institute dedicated to bettering the human condition through studying and promoting the rule of law,” said the Bolch family in a statement provided by RaceTrac. “The entire Bolch family is proud to partner with Duke University as the Bolch Judicial Institute continues its commitment to advancing legal education and fostering justice that enhance the well-being of our society in Carl’s memory.”
“Duke University has lost a great ally and friend in Carl Bolch Jr.,” said Kerry Abrams, James B. Duke and Benjamin N. Duke Dean of the Duke University School of Law. “Thanks to Carl’s generosity and vision, the Bolch Judicial Institute is a pillar in the efforts to protect, preserve, and strengthen the rule of law here in the United States and around the world. We will continue to carry on his legacy by serving as a leader in advancing our understanding of the judiciary and the rule of law, which was a passion for Carl.”
Leadership in Business and Service
Bolch’s career spanned more than five decades of leadership in business and philanthropy. After joining RaceTrac in 1967 and succeeding his father as CEO, he pioneered self-service gasoline across Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, with RaceTrac growing to more than 500 stores under his leadership. Under his stewardship for 56 years, RaceTrac became a cornerstone of the U.S. retail industry.
As determined and strategic as he was in growing his business, Bolch was equally thoughtful and intentional in his philanthropy. He was deeply engaged with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research; Bolch was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2007, and his father also lived with the illness.
In 2018, Carl and Susan Bolch established the Bolch Judicial Institute at Duke Law School with a $10 million gift, building on the Center for Judicial Studies, created in 2011 with support from The Duke Endowment. In 2024, RaceTrac provided an additional $10 million matching pledge to help expand the Institute’s programs and initiatives.
Bolch said that his deep belief in the rule of law — and its role in making his business success possible — inspired his vision for the Institute.
“I have had success in business that I couldn’t have dreamed I’d have, largely because of a system built on the rule of law and a society that respects the rule of law,” he explained in a 2018 interview. “It is the foundation for the stability of society, human rights, a growing economy, and flourishing culture and artistic life.”
A Wharton School graduate and accomplished business leader, Bolch worked with the Institute’s founding director and Duke Law’s former dean, David F. Levi, to shape the Institute’s mission. Bolch’s strategic, ambitious approach is evident in the Institute’s wide-ranging portfolio of projects, which include a master’s degree for sitting judges, publications for and about judges, and civics programs that educate the public about the rule of law and role of the judiciary.
“Carl was a builder — of a great business and then of an inspired institute,” said Levi, now president of the American Law Institute. “He infused the Bolch Judicial Institute with his entrepreneurial spirit and unwavering commitment to justice. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Carl and Susan to build something so special and important.”
Expanding Judicial Education and Scholarship
The Institute’s programs reflect the Bolches’ belief that an independent judiciary and a society’s belief in the fairness of its justice system are critical to preserving and protecting the rule of law. To strengthen both, the Institute offers unique educational programs for judges, including the Master of Judicial Studies (MJS), the “Defending the Judiciary” initiative, which addresses threats to judicial independence, and Judicature, a publication focused on the judiciary and the administration of justice.
“Carl Bolch Jr. had a visionary’s understanding that the rule of law is not an abstraction but the framework that is essential to economic growth and success and the protection of our fundamental rights and liberties,” said Paul W. Grimm, David F. Levi Professor of the Practice of Law and director of the Bolch Judicial Institute, a retired federal judge, and a 2014 graduate of the MJS program. “Carl set out to create an institute that would defend and preserve the rule of law as a means to improve lives and societies around the world, and he infused this work with the same vision, commitment, and passion he brought to his business. Judges around the world and the communities they serve will long benefit from his wisdom and generosity.”
More than 120 judges in the United States and around the world have graduated from the Institute’s MJS program, which provides full-tuition scholarships to enable sitting judges from all levels of courts and jurisdictions to study subjects ranging from statutory interpretation and judicial decision-making to analytical methods and judicial writing. The body of scholarly work developed by MJS student theses contributes substantially to the academic understanding of the role and work of judges.
“While I never met Carl Bolch Jr., I’ve had a sense of his incredible faith in the rule of law — in full partnership with Susan — for some time now,” said Kimberly J. Mueller, senior judge of U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, a 2025 graduate of the MJS program, and incoming director of the Bolch Judicial Institute. “When I first learned of the Bolch Judicial Institute and its expansive mission, I heard the story of Carl’s trusting in law’s rule as he helped to innovate and grow his family’s business so successfully. As a federal district judge, I — along with my classmates — benefited immensely from participating in the MJS program, which enhances the judiciary at all levels, at home and abroad. As I take the director’s baton from the remarkable Paul Grimm, I pledge to do everything I can to honor and celebrate Carl’s enduring legacy.”
An Enduring Legacy
Bolch’s legacy extends from the legal academy to the legal profession and the global judiciary. Indeed, the Institute’s work has become so widely known that many judges and scholars simply call it “Bolch.” Through research, professional development programs, and scholarly publications, the Bolch Judicial Institute has become an international hub for judicial innovation. And by providing judges with the tools, resources, and networks they need, the Institute ensures courts are prepared to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing legal landscape.
“Carl Bolch Jr. was a visionary and a game-changer who saw a need where he could make a difference,” said David Ichel, chair of the Institute’s Advisory Board and a mediator and arbitrator at X-Dispute LLC. “And he has done just that with the Bolch Judicial Institute at Duke Law School. The Institute’s success and global reach will be an everlasting legacy.”
“We deeply mourn the loss of Carl Bolch Jr.,” said Peter J. Kahn, chair emeritus of the Bolch Judicial Institute Advisory Board, senior counsel at Williams & Connolly LLP, trustee emeritus of Duke University, and chair emeritus of the Institute’s Advisory Board. “Carl and his wife, Susan, recognized the significance of the rule of law for the functioning of a civil society, and their foresight continues to inspire us all as practitioners in these turbulent times. We will see to it that Carl’s vision lives on in the work of the Bolch Judicial Institute at Duke Law School. May his memory be for a blessing.”
Read an announcement from RaceTrac here and the obituary here. Condolence messages can be directed to bolchjudicialinstitute@law.duke.edu.
About the Bolch Judicial Institute
Established in 2018 with a $10 million gift from Carl Bolch Jr. and Susan Bass Bolch, the Institute provides unique educational opportunities for sitting judges in the United States and around the globe; conducts research and supports teaching and scholarship; and develops civic education initiatives to advance its mission of promoting the rule of law. Among the Institute’s flagship programs are the Master’s in Judicial Studies LLM program; Judicature, Duke’s scholarly journal on judging; conferences and seminars that bring together lawyers, judges, and scholars to examine challenges and develop solutions for improving and advancing the administration of justice; the Bolch Prize for the Rule of Law, which is awarded annually to an individual or organization who has demonstrated extraordinary dedication to the rule of law and advancing rule of law principles around the world; and the Raphael Lemkin Rule of Law Guardian medal, given annually to an individual who has contributed to the preservation and advancement of the rule of law.