About Andrea
Andrea Smaxwell studied three disciplines as an undergraduate—philosophy, religion and political science—at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She went on to law school at Golden Gate University, earning a J.D. in international law in 2009 and an LL.M. in international legal studies in 2010. Those years of study gave her a grounding in cross-border legal issues and comparative approaches to regulation. They also shaped the early contours of her legal thinking.
After completing graduate study in San Francisco, Smaxwell moved into practice in North Carolina. Her professional qualifications include a Department of Veterans Affairs certification, and she is licensed to practice in North Carolina. She is listed as an attorney at Deuterman Law Group, where she has taken on matters that draw on both her domestic practice and her international legal training.
Smaxwell maintains active ties to local and statewide legal organizations. She is a member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and the North Carolina Association of Women Lawyers. She participates in the NCAWA Piedmont Triad Chapter and is involved with the North Carolina Bar Foundation’s Lawyers for Literacy program. Those memberships suggest an interest in professional collaboration and public outreach alongside her casework.
Her academic background in international law appears alongside practical engagement with veteran-related claims, evidenced by the VA certification she holds. That mix of credentials means she moves between distinct legal settings. On one hand, her training allows her to read international statutes and treaties with some fluency. On the other, the VA credential signals work on claims and benefits for veterans within federal and state systems.
Colleagues describe Smaxwell as steady in court filings and deliberate in client interviews. She favors clear explanations over legalese. That approach can be useful when complex regulatory or benefits questions cross into everyday concerns for clients. In professional settings she often contributes to local bar efforts and literacy initiatives, underscoring an interest in community-facing legal work.
Her current practice is based at Deuterman Law Group in North Carolina, where she handles matters that draw on her international law education and her VA certification. She continues to participate in multiple legal associations and runs cases that reflect her academic and professional training.
She currently practices law at Deuterman Law Group, concentrating on matters related to her international training and veteran services.
