Candidate Biography (submitted by campaign):

Suzanne Reynolds, a law professor at Wake Forest University School of Law, has taught and written about family law, legal ethics, contracts, mortgages and other subjects for 27 years. 

Before teaching, she practiced general civil litigation with the law firm of Smith Moore Smith Schell and Hunter in Greensboro, NC.  A Lexington, NC, native, Suzanne received her B.A. from Meredith College, an M.A. in English and journalism from UNC-CH, and her J.D. from Wake Forest law school. 

While on the faculty at Wake Forest, Suzanne was a principal drafter of statutes that modernized the law of both alimony and of adoption, and she co-founded a domestic violence program that received national recognition by the ABA for providing legal assistance to the poor.

She wrote the 3-volume treatise on North Carolina family law that has become the authoritative source for law students, lawyers, and judges.  She was recognized by the NC Association of Women Attorneys in 1996 with the Gwyneth B. Davis Award for Public Service and by Governor Hunt in 1998 with a Distinguished Woman of the Year award.  

Suzanne lives in Winston-Salem with her husband Hoppy Elliot and their dog, Lilah.  They have three grown children, Michael, who is entering UNC Law School, Caroline, who has recently graduated from UNC Law School, and Lillie, who is studying photojournalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. 

Candidate Statement:

The work of the Supreme Court is to clarify and explain the law.  In essence, the opinions of a state's Supreme Court should teach the law.  For twenty-seven years, I have been teaching and writing about the law.  This relationship between the work of a law professor and the work of an appellate judge makes law professors particularly well-qualified for a state's highest court.  I feel the responsibility to offer my services where I think they could be put to best use.  The state's highest court would benefit from someone with an expertise in analytical rigor and a commitment to clarifying the law.        

I began my career in a litigation practice in Greensboro.  As a law professor, I have taught a variety of subjects - contracts, corporations, family law, legal research and writing, mortgages, and professional responsibility.  The more than 2000 lawyers I have taught will tell you that I demand analytical integrity in the classroom and bring a balanced, impartial approach to the issues.  These habits of my professional life will serve the Supreme Court well. 

My book, North Carolina Family Law, has become the authoritative source in this area for lawyers and judges. An increasing percentage of the docket of the Supreme Court involves family law, making my expertise of great value to the Court.

Because of what I would bring to the court, I have received most of the endorsements of organizations that have selected a candidate in this race, including teachers, state employees, lawyer groups, and civic organizations.  I am proud also to have former justices of the NC Supreme Court, like G.K. Butterfield and Harry Martin, and former judges of the NC Court of Appeals, like Loretta Biggs, Jack Cozort, Fred Hedrick, and Sydnor Thompson, among my supporters. 

Please visit www.suzannereynolds.org for more information.