Atty. Melissa Hill
Melissa Hill is a native of Asheville, North Carolina. She received her B.A. degree, magna cum laude, as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1984.
Profile Summary
About Melissa Hill at a glance
Melissa Hill is a criminal defense and white collar attorney based in Raleigh, North Carolina, practicing at Tharrington Smith LLP. Admitted to practice in North Carolina, North Carolina State Bar. Educated at The University of South Carolina School of Law (J.D., 1987) and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BA, 1984). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Criminal Defense: White-Collar (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Awards: (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated Lawyer, Martindale Hubbell (2026). Serands clients in Raleigh, NC and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
Melissa Hill is a native of Asheville, North Carolina. She received her B.A. degree, magna cum laude, as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1984. She also attended law school at UNC, where she was admitted to the Order of the Coif, was on the North Carolina Law Review and received her J.D. with honors in 1987.
Ms. Hill is the author of Tennessee v. Garner - The Use of Deadly Force to Arrest as an Unreasonable Search and Seizure, 65 N.C.L. Rev. 155 (1986); and Branch Banking & Trust Company v. Wright - Creditors Rights to Entireties Property Awarded to Nondebtor Spouse Upon Divorce, 64 N.C.L. Rev. 1471 (1986).
Ms. Hill joined Tharrington Smith in 1987 and practices criminal and civil litigation in state and federal courts in North Carolina as well as in other states. She has earned the top rating (AV®) in Martindale Hubbell. She is a member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Wake County Academy of Criminal Trial Lawyers, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the American, North Carolina, and Wake County bar associations, and formerly served as an officer on the North Carolina Bar Association's Criminal Justice Council.
Selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America®, since 2010
AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rated Lawyer, Martindale Hubbell
Member - Order of the Coif
Practice Areas Explained
Melissa Hill's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Melissa Hill handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
A criminal defense attorney protects your rights from arrest through trial. Find experienced lawyers handling DUI, drug, federal, theft, and violent-crime charges.
Melissa Hill is one of 214,271 criminal defense attorneys indexed nationally. Browse criminal defense attorneys in North Carolina →
Melissa Hill is one of 20,025 white collar attorneys indexed nationally. Browse white collar 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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