NCLW Leaders in the Law: Susan S. Jackson, Charlotte Office Managing Partner Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough 

Susan S. Jackson, Charlotte Office Managing Partner Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough 

Charlotte 

Susan Jackson parlayed her engineering skills and education into a career as a patent attorney after she was named an inventor on a patent from research she conducted as a summer intern at a company where she worked. 

As managing partner Nelson Mullins’ Charlotte office, she has expanded her practice to include intellectual property law, trademark and copyright law. 

Jackson graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering, graduating magna cum laude. She was the Clemson Chapter president of Tau Beta Pi, the National Engineering Society. She earned her law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law and was on the Wake Forest Law Review staff.

She serves on the Clemson University Board of Visitors is a founding member and the first president of the Charlotte Women’s Bar, a Chapter of the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys 

Growing up: I grew up in Charlotte. Some of my best childhood memories are the times that I spent with my mother and grandmother who took me shopping and out to lunch on the weekends at SouthPark mall.  

Personal accomplishment: My biggest personal accomplishment is raising my two sons. One is in college at UNC-Chapel Hill and the other is at Georgetown University. They are amazing young men, and I am extremely proud of the people that they have become. 

First job: My very first job was as a babysitter in the neighborhood where I grew up. I learned how to be resourceful and entrepreneurial. 

Biggest career challenge: In order to have a successful and fulfilling career, I have had to learn to adapt over time and take the long view as the law, clients, and co-workers change.  

Advice for aspiring attorneys:  Know your strengths and choose an area of law you love. You will be successful because of your hard work and passion. 

Work-life balance: Have a great partner in life who is willing to work with you as a team for the betterment of both of you – personally and professionally. 

Childhood goal: I wanted to be a school teacher 

Favorite vacation spot: Hilton Head Island, S.C. 

A month off: I would take a trip to Sicily to learn more about my family roots. 

You didn’t know: For my 40th birthday, I learned how to ride a bike so I could go on a trip to France with my son. My family got our first dog, Bailey, a golden retriever, when my eldest son went off to college.