Lauren E. Leader
The entirety of Lauren’s decade-long legal career has been spent as a family law attorney at James, McElroy & Diehl, P.A. Lauren is the only family law partner licensed to practice in both North Carolina and South Carolina, and she enjoys representing domestic clients in both states.
Lauren carefully tailors her approach to meet each client’s specific needs, whether best served through a negotiated settlement or inside the courtroom. Her practice encompasses divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support (post-separation support and alimony), equitable distribution, domestic violence, alienation of affection and criminal conversation.
In 2023, Lauren was named to the North Carolina Super Lawyers Rising Star list, an honor bestowed on only 2.5% of lawyers in North Carolina and to those who “have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement” (SuperLawyers.com). Lauren was also recognized in the field of family law within the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. This organization recognizes only the top 5.3% of practicing lawyers nationwide, based on confidential peer evaluations.
In 2010, Lauren received Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Journalism and Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Lauren then returned to her hometown of Raleigh, NC, where she earned her Juris Doctor from Campbell University School of Law in 2013. Lauren developed a passion for family law and client advocacy while in law school, where she participated in the Domestic Violence Project and was a finalist in the Richard T. Bowser Client Counseling Competition.
Outside of her client work, Lauren enjoys spending time with her friends and family, traveling, and attending Myers Park Presbyterian Church.
Academic Background
- J.D. from Campbell University School of Law
- B.A. in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- B.A. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Bar & Court Admissions
- North Carolina State Bar
- South Carolina State Bar
Affiliations
- Mint Museum Auxiliary
- Mecklenburg County Bar, Family Law Section
- Good Friends Charlotte
- North Carolina Bar Association
- South Carolina Bar Association
- York County Bar
Professional Recognition
- Mecklenburg County Bar Leadership Institute, 2018
- North Carolina Super Lawyers “Rising Star” in Family Law, 2023
- Best Lawyers in America© in Family Law, 2024
