Curtis H. (“Trey”) Allen III is an associate justice on the Supreme Court of North Carolina. He began his legal career by serving as a judge advocate in the United States Marine Corps. His military service included a deployment to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. After being honorably discharged, Trey returned to North Carolina and clerked for Justice (now Chief Justice) Paul Newby of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. He then practiced education law and became a partner at Tharrington Smith LLP in Raleigh. Trey left the firm to join the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Government. His research, writing, and teaching focused on the general regulatory and enforcement powers of local governments, local government liability, and board procedures. The School named Trey the Albert and Gladys Hall Coates Distinguished Term Associate Professor for 2020-2022. Trey took leave from the School to serve as General Counsel for the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts, providing legal guidance on criminal and civil matters to judges, clerks of court, and magistrates throughout the state. He continued in that role until taking his seat on the state’s highest court.

Trey graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. He obtained his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a published staff member of the North Carolina Law Review.

Trey is the son of Curtis and Elaine Allen and is married to Teryn Melissa Smith Allen. He and Teryn are the proud parents of five children.