Former faculty member Trey Allen invested as member of Supreme Court of North Carolina

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Trey Allen takes his oath of office in a formal court room with his left hand on a Bible and his right hand raised. His wife holds the Bible and they are joined by their four sons and one daughter.

Former School of Government faculty member Trey Allen was formally invested as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina on January 4, 2023. Allen took his oath of office accompanied by his wife and children. A video of the investiture is available online.

With his election, Allen will serve an eight-year term with the state’s highest court. He is one of six associate justices and will serve alongside Chief Justice Paul Newby.

Allen served as a faculty member at the School of Government from 2013 to 2021. During his tenure, he worked extensively with the state’s municipal and county clerks. His writing and advising focused on regulatory and enforcement powers of local governments, local government liability, and board procedures. Allen was named an Albert and Gladys Hall Coates Distinguished Term Associate Professor during his tenure and received honorary membership from the North Carolina Association of Municipal Clerks.

While at the School, Allen also taught enlisted service members as a volunteer instructor for the Warrior-Scholar Project at UNC. His course, “The Declaration in Context: The American Ideal of Democracy,” sought to encourage thinking about government as a cultural and philosophical ideal.

Hailing from Robeson County, he received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and his J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Following law school, he served as a U.S. Marine Corps officer in Okinawa, Japan, and Iraq. His work as a judge advocate included providing legal advising and counsel to commanding general, subordinate commanders, and fellow Marines. He also clerked for Justice (now Chief Justice) Newby of the Supreme Court of North Carolina and worked in private practice at Tharrington Smith LLP in Raleigh.

“We are excited for Trey as he enters this new phase of his public service career,” said Mike Smith, dean of the School of Government. “Trey’s School of Government clients and colleagues benefitted from his dedication, sense of humor, and legal expertise. We know he will approach his new work with the same care.”

Prior to his election, Allen was on a leave of absence from the School to serve as general counsel for the North Carolina Office of the Courts. In his role he provided legal guidance on criminal and civil issues to court officials statewide.