He has worked for the Self-Help Credit Union in Durham and for the United States Senate. Prior to serving in the North Carolina General Assembly, Stein spent eight years as North Carolina's Deputy Attorney General for Consumer Protection. From 2012 until 2016, he served as Of Counsel at Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP, a regional law firm. Stein also worked with the North Carolina Minority Support Center, raising capital to invest in small businesses, and InterAct, Wake County’s domestic violence prevention and care organization. Stein currently serves on the board of the Truth Initiative, America's largest non-profit public health organization. Stein was sworn into office as a member of the North Carolina Senate on January 15, 2009. After being re-elected, he was elected minority whip by his colleagues in December 2010.
North Carolina Attorney General
As Attorney General, Stein has sought and received additional funding to test North Carolina's backlog of untested sexual assault kits. This has led to new arrests in cases involving a 2015 assault and attempted murder in Durham, North Carolina; assaults in 2009 and 2010 in Fayetteville; and a 1993 assault in Winston-Salem, among others. Stein is among the four state attorneys general negotiating a national settlement framework with drug companies over the nation's opioid epidemic. He helped finalize a settlement with the opioid manufacturer Mallinckrodt in which the company agreed to pay $1.6 billion for its role in the epidemic. In 2018, Stein filed a brief with the United States Supreme Court arguing in favor of the Affordable Care Act. In 2019, Stein became the first attorney general in the country to sue e-cigarette manufacturer JUUL for unlawful marketing to minors. Stein negotiated eight Anti-Robocall Principles with a bipartisan coalition of 51 attorneys general and 12 companies to protect phone users from illegal robocalls. He also launched Operation Silver Shield, an effort to protect older North Carolinians from fraud and scams. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Stein won a preliminary injunction against a Charlotte tow company sued for price-gouging, and announced the investigation of nine North Carolina-based sellers on Amazon who are accused of raising prices on coronavirus-related products, including hand sanitizer and N-95 masks.
Recognition as a state legislator
Sierra Club of North Carolina named Stein a "2009 Environmental Champion of the North Carolina General Assembly" for his efforts to ban plastic bags on the Outer Banks and to clean up Falls Lake.
North Carolina Association of Educators named him a "Rising Star"
AARP Outstanding Legislator Award for Consumer Protection
North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors Coalition Legislative Award
The League of Conservation Voters presented Josh its "Rising Star, Green Tie Award" and named him their "Defender of the Environment" recipient."
The NC Justice Center honored Josh as the 2011 "Defender of Justice" for his dedication to expanding opportunity and prosperity for and North Carolinians.
Talking About Politics' Gary Pearce tapped Josh as the Democratic "MVP" for his "courage and conviction" and "political skills" during the 2013 long session.
Equality NC selected Josh as the inaugural 2013 Jamie Kirk Hahn Ally Award for his longstanding efforts to enact the Nondiscrimination in State Employment Act.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving honored Josh with its 2015 Legislator of the Year award for his work coauthoring legislation creating an all-offender ignition interlock law for anyone convicted of drunk driving.
Personal life
Josh Stein is married to Anna Harris Stein and has three children: Sam, Adam, and Leah.
