Brooks Pierce partner Elizabeth Troutman has been named one of 60 Scholars who will form the Presidential Leadership Scholars’ (PLS) 11th annual class. Over the past decade, PLS has brought together nearly 600 established, purpose-driven leaders to collaborate and make a difference in the world as they learn about leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson.
The class was selected after a rigorous application and review process. Scholars were chosen based on their leadership growth potential and the strength of their personal leadership projects aimed at addressing a critical challenge or need in a community, profession, or organization.
Troutman’s legal practice focuses on education law—advocating for, supporting, and advising K-12 school boards, non-profit educational organizations, colleges, and universities across the state of North Carolina. She is passionate about strengthening educational institutions in North Carolina through thoughtful and strategic legal counsel as well as zealous representation in state and federal courts. Troutman graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina School of Law, earned a master’s degree in public policy from Duke University, and completed her undergraduate work at Princeton University. She lives in Greensboro with her husband and two children.
“I am grateful for this opportunity to grow as a person, a lawyer, and a leader. I am eager to learn from the experiences and reflections of great Americans, including the four presidential administrations and my fellow participants who are all serving people in impressive and diverse ways,” said Troutman.
During the six-month program, Troutman will develop her initiative focused on providing North Carolina teachers and administrators with professional support to navigate the particular challenges facing educators today. She hopes to leverage her experience seeing repeated legal problems in schools to help educators avoid pitfalls and build stable, supportive educational environments.
“Elizabeth has already made incredible contributions to the public and private education systems in North Carolina through her superb legal work and dedication to her community. We are thrilled she has been chosen to participate in such a distinguished program, but are not surprised in the least. Elizabeth has more than earned this distinction,” said Jimmy Adams, managing partner of Brooks Pierce.
Over the course of the program, Scholars will travel to each participating presidential center to learn from former presidents, key former administration officials, business and civic leaders, and leading academics. They will study and put into practice varying approaches to leadership and exchange ideas to help strengthen their impact.
The 2026 program will begin on Jan. 21 in Washington, D.C. To learn more about the program, click here.