Elizabeth Trosch, District Court Judge

Mecklenburg County

Law school: Wake Forest School of Law

Undergraduate: B.A. in psychology and philosophy, Hollins College

As the oldest of four children in a single-parent household, District Court Judge Elizabeth Trosch started working and saving money when she was 12 so she could be the first in her family to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees. She is a devoted community servant and gives back through her work presiding over juvenile court cases.

You received the North Carolina State Bar Pro Bono Service Award as a law student. Why is pro bono service important?

My recognition of the value of pro bono legal services precedes my law school education. I attended law school because I believed that I could better impact the lives of the disenfranchised as an attorney. My experiences with lawyers in my church and community taught me that lawyers aspire to preserve the foundational principals of our nation: to preserve and protect the basic human rights of every citizen regardless of class or race, and to ensure access to justice for all people. There are many people in our communities who cannot access justice because prosecuting one’s rights is expensive or requires legal knowledge to navigate a complicated process. Without lawyers who answer the call to donate their time and talents, justice would be available only to the wealthy, the well-connected and the most educated. Working for the least powerful people in our community kept me grounded in both my personal and professional life. Providing the best representation you can for nothing or next to nothing to someone who would otherwise not be heard is probably the most important thing an attorney can do to preserve the integrity and maintain the quality of our justice system.

What led you to the area of juvenile justice, and why has this been rewarding?

Children reflect the strength and quality of our community. Working as a judge in juvenile court is the most personally and professionally rewarding opportunity I can imagine. I not only have the opportunity to move resources to bring about positive change in the lives of individual children and families, I also have the privilege of working with all of our child-serving partners to leverage resources in a way that improves our systems to better impact the families we serve.

Why is it important to volunteer in your profession and your community?

We all have unique talents and abilities that can make a tremendous difference in the work of an organization or the life of a person with little expense of time or effort on our part. Volunteerism is the most effective way to influence the quality of the community in which you live.

When you are not at work or volunteering, what do you enjoy doing for fun?

I listen to my children. I practice yoga and run. I spend a lot of time appreciating the blessings of my family. Working for the least powerful people in our community kept me grounded.