Carter Downs

Carter was born and raised in Jupiter, FL. He left Jupiter after being recruited to attend Appalachian State University, where he competed in NCAA Division-1 athletics (wrestling) and was a 3-time member of the Southern Conference All-Academic Team. Carter graduated from App State Magna Cum Laude with a major in Political Science and minors in Criminal Justice and Sociology.

Thereafter, Carter attended Florida State University School of Law, where he served as Research Editor for FSU’s Business Review and was an active member of FSU Moot Court and Law Review. He finished law school in the top 10% of his class and, upon graduation, was inducted into the national Order of the Coif for the 2015 chapter.

Carter joined a top 100 U.S. law firm right out of law school, focusing on business transactions, land-use, and government compliance. During this time, he played an integral role in obtaining land-use approvals for large-scale residential developments, assisting with the purchase/financing of residential and commercial real-estate projects, and negotiating/drafting numerous contracts for local businesses and publicly-traded entities.

Immediately prior to joining Russell Kerr’s practice, Carter worked in the Public Defender’s Office where he zealously advocated for impoverished individuals accused of crimes, ultimately litigating over 1,000 criminal charges. He gained extensive experience drafting and arguing pre-trial motions, negotiating pleas, and navigating the complexities of trial. .