Attorney Susannah Hope Horton

Long before Susannah Horton became an attorney, she experienced firsthand the difference a lawyer can make for a family that needs help.

At seven years old, Susannah was badly injured in a car accident. When the other driver’s insurance company would not budge on its settlement offer, her parents hired a personal injury attorney. Susannah remembers going to the Rowan County courthouse on crutches after undergoing surgery related to the crash. She was fascinated by the courtrooms and judges’ chambers, but what stayed with her most was watching their attorney take on the insurance company and ultimately obtain the maximum amount available under the policy.

Finding Her Place in the Courtroom

The youngest of three children, Susannah grew up on a farm in the small rural community of Mount Ulla, North Carolina where both of her parents are public school teachers. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, double-majoring in Public Policy and History and graduated in 2020 – just as the COVID pandemic took off. During the uncertainty of the times, Susannah made the decisive move to pursue a career in law, starting at Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law – the same law school attended by the attorney who helped her family after her childhood car accident.

It didn’t take long for Susannah to discover where she belonged. At Campbell, she was awarded the Dean’s Excellence Scholarship all three years, and in 2024, she received the International Academy of Trial Lawyers Award and was selected to the Order of Barristers. She decided early in law school that she wanted to become a trial attorney, joining Campbell Law’s Trial Advocacy Team and competing in national and regional trial competitions.

Susannah was drawn to the challenge of building a case, arguing the law, and standing in a courtroom advocating for someone else’s position. She interned at a District Attorney’s Office and represented the State of North Carolina in court proceedings under the third-year practice rule.

And it was in the courtroom where Susannah would learn that advocacy is about more than winning.

Sometimes Being Heard Matters Just as Much

After law school, Susannah became an Assistant District Attorney in Mecklenburg County, where she prosecuted cases and gained courtroom experience handling jury trials, meeting with victims, negotiating cases, and preparing motions involving constitutional and evidentiary issues.

One case has stayed with her.

A woman who had endured an assault came to court and testified about what happened to her. Susannah recalls being nervous but determined to give the trial everything she had. What she remembers most clearly, though, isn’t the verdict. It’s what happened afterward.

The woman thanked Susannah for believing her and standing by her side.

For Susannah, it reinforced an important lesson: When someone has been hurt, having another person listen, believe them, and stand up on their behalf can matter deeply.

Calm in the Storm. Ready for the Courtroom.

Susannah brings that perspective to the Litigation Team at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, where she now advocates for people facing powerful companies, insurers, and other well-resourced opponents.

Susannah’s move from criminal prosecution to civil litigation was a natural next step in how she thought about helping people who have been wronged. She believes justice can take many forms and was drawn to civil litigation, in part, because it offers an opportunity to pursue compensation that can help people begin rebuilding after an injury has disrupted their lives.

Susannah strives to be patient and empathetic with every client because she knows people often turn to a lawyer during some of the most difficult periods of their lives. They need someone who will listen. Someone who will tell them the truth. And someone who will remain  calm when everything around them feels anything but.

That steadiness is one of Susannah’s greatest strengths as a litigator. Even when a trial takes an unexpected turn, she is difficult to rattle – an ability that serves her both in the courtroom and when guiding clients who may be scared, frustrated, or uncertain about what comes next.

For Susannah, the courtroom is where preparation, advocacy, and the opportunity to stand up for someone all come together.

Beyond the Office

When she’s not practicing law, Susannah enjoys life in Charlotte, where she can often be found cheering for the Carolina Panthers and the Tar Heels, catching a movie or Broadway show, visiting with nearby family, or planning her next trip.