Paul Tharp graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where he majored in English and minored in Philosophy. Paul graduated with the top grade point average in his class in three years. After working as a high school English teacher, Paul attended law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received his juris doctor and became a member of the Florida Bar in 2003 and the North Carolina Bar in 2005. Paul is admitted to practice in federal court for the Western District of North Carolina. During the beginning of his career, Paul focused on legal writing, publishing hundreds of articles on legal topics in various publications and assisting lawyers and law firms in drafting legal pleadings and other documents. In 2012, Paul joined Arnold & Smith, PLLC to take over the growing personal injury and workers' compensation practice, and is now accepting new cases.