Our People

Drew Nelson is an attorney with the firm. He joined Dysart Willis in 2022 and leads the firm’s Appellate Practice. Drew represents clients before the North Carolina Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of North Carolina, and in the federal appellate courts, including the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He also assists and advises the firm’s attorneys on other litigation and administrative matters.

Drew received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He then graduated, with honors, as a joint-degree student from the UNC School of Law and Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy. He served as an Executive Editor of the North Carolina Law Review while at UNC-Law.

After graduating from law school, Drew worked as a litigation attorney and served as an Assistant General Counsel at North Carolina State University. At NC State, Drew advised the University concerning litigation and liability issues, and represented the University during the termination of a high-profile faculty member. Most recently, he was with the Raleigh firm Epstein Sherlin.

Drew has argued multiple cases before the Supreme Court of North Carolina and the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and has taught appellate practice courses as an adjunct professor.

Drew is also the author of various publications, including an article entitled, “High Steaks: Defending North Carolina’s Response to Contagious Animal Diseases,” and an article entitled, “An Offer They Couldn’t Refuse: Rolling Back RICO Through a Direct Interpretation of Hobbs Act Extortion,” both of which were published in the North Carolina Law Review in 2004.

Bar Admissions

• North Carolina
• Supreme Court of the United States
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina

Education

• University of North Carolina School of Law, J.D
  • Honors: First Place – Joint Journal Competition; Gressman-Pollitt Award Moot Court Award; Russell J. Kirby Public Service Scholarship
  • Law Journal: Executive Editor, North Carolina Law Review
• Duke University, Sanford School of Public Policy, M.P.P.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.A.
  • Honors: J.H. Thompson & E. B. Thompson Undergraduate Research Award

Professional Associations and Memberships

• 10th Judicial District Bar
• North Carolina Bar Association