Asheville Federal Prosecutor Selected As Buncombe County Bar Distinguished Young Lawyer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Andrew Murray announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Caroline McLean, of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina, was selected as Buncombe County Bar Distinguished Young Lawyer for her contributions to the legal profession and the community as a member of the Bar. The announcement was made at the Buncombe Bar Annual Meeting on June 10, 2020.

AUSA McLean serves in the Civil Division of the Asheville U.S. Attorney’s Office. She is responsible for affirmative civil litigation on behalf of the United States, and defending the United States and federal agencies in a wide range of cases in federal and state court. 

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Murray said, “AUSA McLean has exemplified the highest level of achievement as an attorney representing the United States, federal agencies, and federal employees. She has handled difficult and challenging cases, and has demonstrated exemplary legal skill and professionalism while obtaining impressive results in a wide range of cases, including medical malpractice, employment discrimination, tax, and affirmative civil enforcement cases.”

AUSA McLean joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2018. Beyond her career in public service, AUSA McLean has contributed to the community through active participation in the Harry C. Martin Inns of Court in Asheville, an organization that promotes professionalism through mentoring and fostering collegiality within the legal profession. She also serves as a member of the Executive Board for the YMCA of Western North Carolina, a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.

Prior to joining the United States Attorney’s Office, AUSA McLean was a litigation attorney with Ward and Smith, P.A., where she handled complex commercial and business litigation in state and federal courts. Prior to that, she served as a law clerk for the Honorable Louise W. Flanagan of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina (USDC-EDNC). She also served as an extern for the Honorable W. Earl Britt of the USDC-EDNC, and also as an extern for the Honorable Graham C. Mullen of the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.

A native of Charlotte, AUSA McLean graduated from Myers Park High School.  She was selected to attend the University of Virginia (UVA) as a Jefferson Scholar. Following her graduation with distinction from UVA, AUSA McLean graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law with High Honors, where she served as an Articles Editor on the Law Review, and was inducted into the Order of the Coif, an honorable society limited to those that graduate in the top ten percent of their class.