School welcomes Catherine Wilson to faculty to work in decedents’ estates and trusts

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By Andy Bradshaw

The School of Government is pleased to welcome a new faculty member into its ranks. Catherine Wilson, assistant professor of public law and government, joined the faculty in summer 2025. In her role at the School, Wilson teaches, advises, and writes about decedents’ estates and trusts, supporting the work of clerks of superior court and other North Carolina judicial officials in these areas of the law.

Prior to joining the School, Wilson earned a bachelor’s degree from Lipscomb University and her law degree from Vanderbilt University. She has spent her entire legal career working in the estates and trusts field. For 19 years, she worked in private practice at firms in Birmingham, AL, and later in Durham, NC, where she was a partner. In her practice, Wilson specialized in the areas of complex estate administration, special needs planning, and estate and trust litigation.

Speaking about what drew her to this expertise, Wilson referenced the challenging, interdisciplinary nature of the field and its emphasis on the very personal issues that affect her clients’ lives.

“I love the blend of different areas of the law (probate, property, business, tax) combined with the human aspect of estates and trusts. In the end, every estate is about a family. My primary client group is the clerks of superior court,” she said. “I am supporting them in helping North Carolina families through estate and trust matters. I’m also available to serve as a resource for any judge or judicial official who hears estate and trust matters.”

While working in private practice, Wilson had the opportunity to work with School faculty on several projects—an opportunity she said sparked an interest in joining the School’s faculty ranks in the future.

“About five years ago, I worked directly with the faculty at the School on a series of projects—and I saw firsthand the excellent scholarship and support they provide for our judicial officials. What I also learned was that the work at the School, with its focus on practical scholarship, was some of my favorite work as a practicing attorney. I have always loved educating clients and making complicated subjects easy to understand. Now I get to do that every day.”

As she enters the next phase of her legal career at the School, Wilson looks forward to furthering the existing resources her clients rely on at the School for education and guidance.

“I’m excited to expand the publications and curriculum for estates and trusts training,” she said. “I am currently updating several chapters in the Clerk of Superior Court Manual, and I’m looking forward to teaching regular classes on estate administration and trust issues.”

Published August 27, 2025