Younger Lawyer Pro Bono Service Award: Troy Shelton

Troy Shelton is an appellate partner in the Raleigh office of Fox Rothschild LLP. A board-certified appellate specialist, Troy is dedicated to helping clients – including those who are indigent – pursue appeals in federal and state courts across the country. Over the years, Troy has represented on a pro bono basis many children who were abused and neglected by their parents, individuals facing foreclosure, and victim’s rights organizations. In a 2021 pro bono case, Troy persuaded the North Carolina Supreme Court to unanimously recognize that children have a constitutional right to a learning environment free from abuse and bullying. In 2018, he partnered with the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center to launch the first pro bono program for the state’s appellate courts. Troy is also assisting the state’s appellate courts in creating forms and guidance documents for people representing themselves on appeal. Beyond the courtroom, Troy serves as a monthly columnist for North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, where he writes about topics of general interest to the state’s legal community. He has held various leadership positions with the Appellate Practice Section of the North Carolina Bar Association. He was also appointed to the Appellate Rules Committee, which helps the Supreme Court of North Carolina revise and promulgate rules governing appeals.