Roy Neal Trammell

My father is a trial lawyer, but I never really appreciated my father’s work until I was fourteen years old. That winter, I was seriously injured as a passenger in a motor vehicle accident. I was hospitalized and underwent a one-level posterior cervical fusion with instrumentation for a dislocated vertebra in my neck. According to the surgeon, I missed being rendered quadriplegic by a couple of millimeters. It was a frightening and painful experience. My father handled the legal aspects of my claim, and through his work, I learned firsthand the valuable service that trial lawyers provide for victims in society. Not only did my father help me, I saw how my father’s actions improved our community. My accident occurred on a dangerous, unmarked hairpin curve, which had been the site of several prior accidents. Through my father’s efforts, the State erected signs to warn other drivers of the approaching dangerous curve. To my knowledge, no wrecks have occurred in that area since the warning signs were erected. I knew then that I wanted to be a lawyer, so I could devote my life to helping others, just as I had been helped.

I grew up in Anderson; however, I left in the tenth grade to attend high school at The McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The academic environment was challenging and competitive. Today, I look back on my experiences at McCallie with great pride. McCallie’s motto is “honor, truth and duty”. I believe that adherence to those principles, which were ingrained in me at an early age, will help me be successful in life and as a lawyer.

After graduation, I attended Elon University. I chose Elon because I believed that I would be better served academically and socially at a small school. I wanted to build relationships with my professors and classmates. However, the values I gained during my four years at Elon far exceeded my initial expectations. The university encourages student leadership and gives numerous opportunities for students to pinpoint their individual talents and use them successfully. I joined Kappa Alpha Order and became involved in Greek life. During my sophomore year, the student body at Elon selected me to be “Greek Man of the Year”. I held various leadership positions within the fraternity, including community service chairman and treasurer. Through these opportunities, I created sincere relationships in the university community and realized the value of strong social skills in attaining my professional goals in law.

After graduation from Elon, I entered the master’s degree program in education at Anderson University and ultimately obtained a Masters of Education in 2008. While pursuing the master’s degree, I also worked full time as a legal assistant at the law firm. Aside from the practical experience, the trial lawyers at the firm instilled in me some ideology necessary to succeed in law: (1) The most persuasive arguments often occur when the lawyer creatively thinks “outside of the box” so that I can distinguish my case from the norm, and (2) attention to detail is imperative if a lawyer hopes to be successful, because it only takes one mistake for the lawyer to lose the trust of his client or his credibility before a jury. I intend to incorporate these principles into all aspects of my life and I believe they will help me to be a successful lawyer.

After obtaining the master’s degree, I entered law school at Thomas M. Cooley School of Law in Lansing, Michigan. Law school was very challenging. I focused my legal education on litigation and was fortunate to excel in Moot Court and mock trial competitions. I graduated from law school in 2011 and returned home to Anderson.

My first job as a lawyer was working as a law clerk for The Honorable R. Lawton McIntosh, 10th Judicial Circuit Court Judge. My experience with Judge McIntosh was priceless. I travelled throughout South Carolina with Judge McIntosh and had the opportunity to observe many jury and non-jury trials and hearings, both criminal and civil. This experience taught me how to become a better advocate for my clients and how to adequately prepare cases for litigation.

In addition to practicing law, it is one of my goals to give back to my community. I was elected to the Board of Directors of Anderson Heritage whose mission is “to preserve the historical and architectural interest in the community.” I am also a lifelong member of St. John’s United Methodist Church, where I serve as an usher on Sundays and my wife sings in the choir. 

As an attorney at the Trammell & Mills Law Firm, LLC, I have focused my practice on helping those who have been hurt on the job, injured in car wrecks, or otherwise suffered serious personal injuries.