“When someone doesn’t know where to turn and comes to me, I want them to know one thing: Whatever comes next, they won’t have to face it by themselves.”

- Paul R. Dickinson, Jr.

Paul.Dickinson@farrin.com

919-328-4238

Injury Lawyers » Attorney Paul R. Dickinson, Jr. (Partner)

Received Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating⁴

Named a “Super Lawyer”³ by Super Lawyers magazine, 2012, 2017 – 2020, and 2023 – 2024

Named to “Best Lawyers” list⁴ for Mass Tort Litigation – Plaintiffs, 2026-2027, and Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, 2024-2027, by Best Lawyers

Attorney Paul R. Dickinson, Jr. (Partner)

I know what it feels like when life doesn’t go according to plan.

Long before I became a trial attorney, I spent several years moving between school and work. I was a dishwasher. A construction worker. A landscaper. A lumberyard worker. A restaurant manager. I remember having less than $20 to my name and not enough money for groceries. And while working at a lumberyard, I suffered two serious injuries – one that required two surgeries and another that cost me part of a finger.

Today, I’ve been practicing law for more than 35 years. I’ve handled complex litigation, tried significant cases in state and federal courts, and represented people taking on powerful corporations and institutions. Along the way, I’ve earned professional recognition from my colleagues and the gratitude of clients.

But I’ve never forgotten those years before I became a lawyer.

When someone tells me they’re injured, scared about paying their bills, worried about losing their job, or simply unsure what to do next, I can relate. I may not have lived their exact story, but I know what it’s like when the future you expected suddenly changes.

Knowing What It Means to Start Again

My path through college was anything but straightforward. I stepped away from school more than once while working different jobs and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.

Eventually, I decided it was time to start over. One class at a time.

When I returned to college, I took just one class. The next semester, I took two. Before long, I was back in school full-time while working over 40 hours a week in a restaurant. I eventually earned a finance degree from the University of South Florida, finishing with straight A’s my last semester – quite a change from where I’d started. And I did it while working those long and late hours.

That experience taught me something I’ve never forgotten:

Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you end up.

A Secondhand Suit and One More Chance

Even after graduating, I still wasn’t sure where life would take me.

I remember going to recruiting interviews wearing a gray pinstripe suit I’d bought at Goodwill, hoping to get into finance. But my college transcript still reflected those early semesters and my “indirect” path toward graduation.

I eventually found a job selling direct-mail advertising. On the very day I made my biggest sale, the company announced it was closing. So, I went back to the restaurant business and started figuring out my next move.

Around that time, I met a family friend, Florida Appellate Court Judge E.J. Salcines. He kept telling me he thought I’d make a good lawyer and encouraged me to apply to his alma mater, South Texas College of Law in Houston, a school known for developing strong trial advocates. Getting admitted wasn’t easy with my undergraduate record. But someone gave me a chance, and I wasn’t about to waste it.

At South Texas, I discovered that I was good at – and genuinely loved – advocating for the underdog.

I never could have imagined that career when I was struggling to find my direction years earlier.

And when I tried my first case as a lawyer, I deliberately wore that same Goodwill suit to remember where I came from – and what it took to get there.

Finding the Work I Was Meant to Do

In law school, I participated in mock trial competitions and discovered how much I enjoyed litigation – the preparation, the pressure, examining witnesses, opening statements, and closing arguments. I won oral advocacy awards, was selected for a “Top Gun” advanced litigation course, and was invited onto the school’s national mock trial team.

I hit a groove and knew that this is what I should be doing.

I started my legal career representing insurance companies and businesses. But eventually, I found myself on the other side of the courtroom, representing injured people. I sought out opportunities to gain trial experience, handling complex trucking, product liability, personal injury, and wrongful death cases.

That change was important to me. I’d already learned how companies and insurance carriers defend cases. I started to lean into my own personal past to help understand the people I was now representing. I’d worked physically demanding jobs. I’d been seriously injured at work. I’d worried about money and known what it was like to have very little room for anything to go wrong.

I don’t pretend my experiences are the same as those of my clients. But they help me understand what some people are going through when they come to us for help. And I know how much it can mean to have somebody in your corner.

A Real Need for Answers, Help, and Guidance.

When I first meet someone who’s been seriously injured, my priority isn’t talking about courtroom strategy.

It’s listening.

One of the most important things that we do when we’re working with people is listen and try to understand what they’re going through.

I listen carefully to their stories. I want to understand what they’re dealing with, what worries them most, and what they need from me.

Only then can we start figuring out how to move forward.

Standing Up to Powerful Entities

Over the years, I’ve represented people taking on some very powerful entities. And one case in particular has stayed with me.

I represented six victims and families affected by the 2007 Nisour Square shooting in Baghdad involving Blackwater private military contractors.* Among my clients was the family of nine-year-old Ali Kinani, who was killed while riding in the back seat of his father’s vehicle. We pursued civil claims in North Carolina against Blackwater, its founder, and others responsible.

The case involved years of complicated litigation, clients thousands of miles away, and extraordinary legal obstacles. It was an honor to represent those families, who placed tremendous faith in the American legal system.

The case made national headlines. I was interviewed in the largest national newspapers, on national radio talk shows, and on cable news channels. I was able reflect then on all the work it took to get from being a broke dishwasher to being recognized for the work I was doing for others.

That experience reinforced something I’ve always believed:

People facing powerful opponents deserve someone willing to stand beside them and help make sure their voices are heard.

And that applies just as much to clients whose cases will never make headlines.

I don’t measure the importance of a case solely by the size of its result. Some of the cases I remember most involve everyday people who needed help getting back on their feet. Someone who finally has enough to pay a debt. An underdog who’s spent months feeling ignored and finally knows their voice was heard.¹

Those moments matter.

Trust Is Earned Every Day

When I first sit down with an injured client, I often give them a simple assignment: Focus on getting better.

I let them know that my team and I will handle the legal case. We will work hard to take some of that uncertainty off their shoulders so they can concentrate on their recovery and moving forward.

I tell clients they won’t have to go anywhere, do anything, or say anything in their lawsuit without me being there with them. We’ll prepare together for each step, so they understand what’s happening and what to expect. They’ll never have to walk alone.

I believe you earn trust by listening, being honest, following through, and showing up when people need you.

In every interaction I have with my clients, I am trying to build trust and show them that what I am doing is for them, and that I will be with them every step of the way.

Read and Hear More

Licensed In

North Carolina

Practice Area

Honors/Awards/
Accomplishments

“Legal 250” list⁴ by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, 2026
“Icon” list⁴ by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, 2026
“Best Lawyers” list⁴ for Mass Tort Litigation – Plaintiffs, 2026 – 2027 by Best Lawyers in America
“Best Lawyers” list⁴ for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, 2024 – 2027 by Best Lawyers in America
“Super Lawyers”⁴ by Super Lawyers magazine, 2012, 2017 – 2020, and 2023 – 2024
Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating⁴

Memberships

North Carolina Bar Association
North Carolina Advocates for Justice
American Association for Justice

Classes & Seminars

Personal Injury Evidence: Social Media, Smartphones, Experts and Medical Records, National Business Institute, 2018
Truck Accident Litigation From A to Z, National Business Institute, 2015
Advanced Trial Tactics, National Business Institute, 2013
Evidence and Admissibility: Practical Tips for Trial, National Business Institute, 2012
Applying the Rules of Evidence: What Every Attorney Needs to Know, National Business Institute, 2011 – 2012
Litigating to Win Through Advanced Trial Advocacy, National Business Institute, 2008
Evidence and Expert Testimony Best Practices: Supporting Your Case, National Business Institute, 2007
Toxic Mold & Construction Defects in Common Ownership Properties, Communities Association Institute, 2004
What You Really Need to Know About Mold and Your Legal Liabilities in North Carolina, National Business Institute, 2003 – 2004
Analyzing and Proving Construction Project Damages, Lorman Education Services, 2002
Controlling Complex Civil Litigation, Mecklenburg County Paralegal Society, 1998
Fibromyalgia: Cross Examining the Expert Witness, NCADA CLE Seminar, 1996

Publications & Speaking Engagements

“NC lawyer: Our laws on police chases aren’t tough enough. People are dying.” The Charlotte Observer, 2024
“Expert Evidence – A Judicial Diagnosis,” The Icfai University Press, Chapter: Evidence and Expert Testimony, 2008

Law School

South Texas College of Law
Houston, TX
1990, J.D.

College

University of South Florida
Tampa, FL
1986, B.A. in Finance

Former Auto Accident Client, Online Google Review

I love James Scott Farrin.

I love James Scott Farrin. I was treated like family. Everyone was loving, understanding, compassionate, and warm. Thank you, Mr. Paul, Mrs. Ann, and Danielle. ¹

Former Car Accident Client, Online Google Review

It was such a great experience working with James Scott Farrin.

It was such a great experience working with James Scott Farrin. I always thought working with lawyers would be a hassle. James Scott Farrin handled everything. They checked on me during the entire process, and they still reach out to make sure everything is going [well]. ¹

For legal reasons and client confidentiality, reviews have been slightly edited to remove identifying information and correct typos.

*Case handled prior to joining James Scott Farrin.