On May 22, 2017, the Supreme Court of North Carolina recognized 170 North Carolina attorneys as inaugural members of the Pro Bono Honor Society, which is managed by the NC Pro Bono Resource Center of the NC Equal Access to Justice Commission of the Supreme Court.

The listing is maintained as a way of encouraging attorneys to fulfill the aspirations of the Court’s pro bono guidelines. Phillips offers nonprofit, tax, and probate counsel through Legal Aid of North Carolina, and he is the volunteer state-level general counsel for the US Air Force’s auxiliary, the Civil Air Patrol.