Tharrington Smith, LLP is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Richard A. Paschal to their education law section. Paschal joined Tharrington Smith, LLP, on June 7th and has an extensive background as an education attorney. He is a fantastic addition to the team and has already begun work providing excellent legal advice and action for Tharrington Smith, LLP’s education clients.
Paschal’s educational background includes earning his undergraduate degree in history and political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia, where he was Articles Editor on the Virginia Law Review and was awarded the Davis Prize in Constitutional Law. He also received his Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University in 2006.
Paschal is the author of the new book, “Jim Crow in North Carolina: The Legislative Program from 1865 to 1920,” published by Carolina Academic Press as part of its legal history series (Jefferson Powell, Duke Law School, is the series editor).
Prior to joining Tharrington Smith, he worked as a clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and then as an associate for a firm in Washington, DC. He taught American legal and constitutional history for over ten years at the George Mason School of Law and, then, at the Campbell University School of Law. Since then, Paschal has been back in the courtroom advising and litigating on behalf of public school boards and clients in federal and state courts.
“I am excited to be practicing at Tharrington Smith and to be serving the firm’s school board clients. I look forward to using my experience in education law and litigation on behalf of the schools we represent,” said Paschal.
Paschal joins a team at Tharrington Smith, LLP which has over 100 years of experience combined working in the education law field. The firm’s education law practice began in 1978 with representation of the Wake County Board of Education and the North Carolina School Boards Association. The firm still represents these two clients and now actively represents dozens of school boards, large and small, urban and rural, across the state. Working for such a large number of boards has exposed the firm’s lawyers to a wide variety of issues and concerns arising in many different settings. Tharrington Smith is thrilled to be adding Paschal’s vast experience and insight to this already incredible team.