Atty. Carolyn Murchison
Originally from Michigan, Carolyn Murchison moved to North Carolina after obtaining her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She received her law degree with honors from the University of North Carolina, where she was an editor of North Carolina Journal of International Law and Commercial Regulation, a Daniel H.
Profile Summary
About Carolyn Murchison at a glance
Carolyn Murchison is a education attorney based in Raleigh, North Carolina, practicing at Tharrington Smith LLP. Educated at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (—, 1998). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Education Law (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Additional Areas of Practice: (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Litigation - First Amendment (2026). Serands clients in Raleigh, NC and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Originally from Michigan, Carolyn Murchison moved to North Carolina after obtaining her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley
- She received her law degree with honors from the University of North Carolina, where she was an editor of North Carolina Journal of International Law and Commercial Regulation, a Daniel H. Pollitt Fellow and a member of the James E. and Carolyn B. Davis Society
- Prior to joining Tharrington Smith in 2000, Ms. Murchison was a policy analyst for the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research, where she examined the history of the University of North Carolina system
- Over the past two decades, Ms. Murchison has cultivated a practice focused on special education
- She has represented over 50 school districts scattered from the mountains to the coast on special education matters, is a popular and frequent speaker on all matters related to students and students with disabilities, and has continued to oversee the expansion of Tharrington Smith’s distinguished special education practice
- Ms. Murchison is a long-standing member of the North Carolina Council of School Attorneys and previously served on its executive committee
- She is a member of the National Council of School Attorneys, the Education, Labor and Employment, and Constitutional Rights and Responsibilities sections of the North Carolina Bar Association, and is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in North Carolina as well as the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
- She is the current Board attorney for the Lenoir and Hoke County Boards of Education, a die-hard fan of the University of California, Berkeley, and a proud parent of three amazing young adults, all products of the North Carolina public schools
Practice Areas Explained
Carolyn Murchison's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Carolyn Murchison handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Education attorneys for special education (IEP), school discipline, Title IX, and student rights.
Carolyn Murchison is one of 24,079 education attorneys indexed nationally. Browse education attorneys in North Carolina →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in North Carolina
Practicing law in North Carolina. Legal matters in North Carolina are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Raleigh are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate North Carolina state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in North Carolina brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in North Carolina courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional North Carolina attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Raleigh or all attorneys in North Carolina.
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