Sean is licensed to practice in all North Carolina state courts. He is also admitted to practice in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, the Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina, and Western District of Washington Federal Courts. He is licensed to practice in Washington State, but is currently on inactive status there. 

A graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, Cecil represented the law school in a national moot court competition at UCLA after placing first in the intra-school competition. After law school, Sean's first job was as a public defender. As a public defender he realized a lifelong passion for helping the underprivileged and questioning authority. He also discovered a talent for trial advocacy. Following his years as a public defender, Sean opened an office among the amazing litigators on the 13th Floor of the Hoge building in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood. While in the Hoge Building, Sean was heavily involved with the Urban Indian Law Clinic at the Chief Seattle Club in Seattle, providing mostly pro bono legal services to the club's clientele comprised of city-dwelling Native Americans. In 2012 the Northwest Indian Bar Association presented him with an award for outstanding pro-bono contributions related to work at the clinic. Cecil is a member of the Water Protector's Legal Committee, formed in response to environmental injustice involving pipeline placement and threats to native nations' sovereignty.

Sean worked with the fantastic legal team at Edelstein & Payne until 2023. After the firm's name partners retired, Mr. Cecil opened the Law Office of Sean P. Cecil, PLLC, to continue providing quality legal services in a similar vein. Attorney Cecil has been lead counsel in several jury trials, has successfully argued motions in numerous criminal and civil cases, and has represented clients in state and Federal courts as well as countless administrative proceedings.Mr. Cecil continues to fulfill his passion for indigent defense in federal court as a member of the Criminal Justice Act panel for the Eastern District of North Carolina, defending serious federal criminal charges.

Mr. Cecil is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Federal Bar Association, the WCBA/10th Judicial District Bench Bar Committee, the Wake County Academy of Criminal Trial Lawyers, the NORML Lawyer's Committee, and the Water Protector's Legal Committee.

Sean moved to North Carolina in 2014 to be closer to his wife Katie's family. They currently reside in Raleigh, NC with their two children, adopted mutt Beans (Yorkie/Ewok mix?), two parakeets, and a school of colorful fish. Mr. Cecil's current practice in North Carolina includes state and federal criminal defense, wage and hour disputes, and representing North Carolina career state employees in disciplinary matters. Cecil is not knowingly directly related to any Cecils associated with the Vanderbilts. If you know something, say something.