Attorney Spotlight: Christine Farrell

Welcome to our very first edition of the Mulligan Attorneys Spotlight! Every so often, we’ll be interviewing one of our team members so that you can learn a little more about who we are.

We’ll start this series off with one of our attorneys, Christine Farrell.

Christine grew up in southern Indiana, in the Columbus area. Christine graduated from Indiana University with a BA in Psychology and Criminal Studies before attending law school at the DePaul University School of Law in Chicago. She continued to live in the city for nearly 12 years while gaining experience working at the Cabrini Green Legal Aid Clinic in Chicago.

In 2007, Christine and her family moved to Wilmington, NC, and she became licensed to practice law in North Carolina shortly afterward. Christine loves the warm, sunny weather Wilmington has to offer, but she also enjoys the good, old-fashioned Southern hospitality that can be found in the South. Having grown up in the Midwest, Christine says she was used to people being so helpful and neighborly, which is why she was so thrilled to see that people here in Wilmington are as well!



Christine has been interested in law since she would listen to her family’s dinner discussions at a very young age. “My parents instilled a deep sense of the need for social justice to me and my brother,” she explained, “While no one in my family was an attorney, I felt that the law was a place to try to ensure that everyone has the ability to have their voice heard.”

Christine loves to talk and thinks that’s one of the reasons she thinks litigation is a good fit for her. She focuses heavily on family law, which allows her to help people through difficult situations and stressful times and fulfills her desire to help her fellow man.

Christine strongly believes that, even when a family is breaking apart, she can help both sides work together to reach a common goal, especially when the case involves children. At the end of the day, Christine loves knowing that she was instrumental in helping her clients solve an issue or problem.

In addition to helping others, Christine also enjoys that being a lawyer at Mulligan Attorneys means working with some of the best lawyers and staff she’s had the privilege of knowing. “I truly could not do my work without these people surrounding me. There is a great positive energy and everyone truly feels that each client is important and valued,” she said.

Though she loves her job, it’s not without its challenges. Christine says that family law can be stressful because of the extreme highs and lows clients may experience. As an attorney, she says it’s impossible not to feel empathy for the families she works with every day. She also notes that the obvious challenges of being a working parent, and finding a balance between work and home life, can bring some stress to daily life.

Though many friends and family have contributed to helping Christine achieve her career goals, she admits that she takes a lot of inspiration from the clients she worked with at her first job at the Legal Aid Clinic in Cabrini Green, Chicago. “My clients were some of the poorest people in Cook County, but they had a resilient spirit and a strong sense of family that helped form much of who I am as an attorney,” she remarked.

And of course, she couldn’t help but thank her first supervisor who had her step in for her first trial 2 hours after being sworn in as an attorney. Christine says it was his obvious faith in her that gave her the confidence that very, very new attorneys require. Spoiler alert: they won the case!

When she’s not at work, there are few things Christine enjoys more than enjoying the company of her amazing husband, 15-year-old daughter, and 11 year-old-son. She is so grateful that her family is supportive of each other and her career.

Attorney Favorites Lightning Round!

Color: Orange and green
Food: While I love to cook, it always tastes better when someone else makes it, so anything from a restaurant!
Movie: Shawshank Redemption and Rudy. I’ve likely watched both over 10 times.
TV Show: Downton Abbey. I can watch this over and over. I think it is beautifully done.
Game to Play: Uno or Yahtzee with my kids – but they are competitive.
Outdoor Activity: Watching my kids play soccer and basketball.
Band/Singer: They’re not too similar, but I love Crosby, Stills, & Nash and also Guns N Roses. They are on repeat for me.
Animal: My Airedale dog, Yogi, is like one of my children. Once she curls up next to me and snuggles I’m pretty much done for the evening. She won’t let me move.
Thing(s) to Do in Your Spare Time: Our family is really busy with activities, work, and school, so I always appreciate those times each year when we can relax together in the mountains or away from home.

If you’d like to get in touch with Christine regarding a potential family law or DSS case, you can give Mulligan Attorneys a call at 910-763-1100 or click here to schedule a free consultation.