Elliot Sol Abrams

Elliot Sol Abrams is a partner at Cheshire Parker Schneider & Abrams, PLLC, and represents individuals in high-stakes and complex criminal defense law, civil rights, NCAA, and professional disciplinary matters. He handles white-collar criminal defense, wrongful death claims, toxic exposure cases, and other select civil disputes. He also represents licensed professionals before disciplinary bodies and clients in asset forfeiture, appeals, and post-conviction proceedings. His practice includes complex federal and state matters requiring strategic investigation, trial preparation, negotiation, and appellate advocacy across North Carolina.

Elliot earned his J.D. from Georgetown University, where he competed on the moot court team and won Best Brief in a regional competition. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in the top three percent of his class and joining Phi Beta Kappa. His legal training also included assisting with a first-degree murder trial that ended in a full acquittal.

Elliot has achieved notable results in criminal defense, civil rights, NCAA, and asset forfeiture matters. He helped secure a $75 million federal civil rights verdict for two wrongly convicted men and has first-chaired trials resulting in complete acquittals. He also persuaded the Fourth Circuit to overturn a longstanding asset forfeiture rule and has obtained dismissals, new trials, presidential commutations, compassionate release, and substantial recoveries for clients in complex federal matters.

Elliot Sol Abrams received the Public Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year Award in 2022 for his work on the $75 million wrongful-conviction verdict. He has also been recognized by Best Lawyers in America, North Carolina Super Lawyers, Chambers USA, and the Business North Carolina Legal Elite Hall of Fame for Criminal Defense. His leadership includes service on the Governor’s Crime Commission and the Center for Death Penalty Litigation board.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Cheshire Parker Schneider & Abrams, PLLC
• Member, North Carolina Bar Association
• Member, Camp Lejeune Water Litigation, Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee
• Former President, Federal Bar Association, Eastern District of North Carolina Chapter
• Member of Board of Directors, Center for Death Penalty Litigation
• Member, North Carolina General Assembly
• Member, United States Army Special Forces

Licensed State

• North Carolina

Education

• Georgetown University Law Center
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of North Carolina
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges