Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, where her parents were practicing attorneys, Edwards was educated in the Wake County Public School System.

[1] In high school, she played soccer, basketball, and softball, and was named All-Conference and Most Valuable Player her senior year.

In the fall of 2012, she returned to the college campus of Winthrop University, where she spoke to students about the importance of voting and the necessity of refusing to be a bystander in our democracy.

[8][9] Early in the 2004 presidential campaign, Edwards became the first family member of the Democratic candidates to state that she was in favor of legalizing gay marriage.

The news organization then went on to state in its report that John Edwards "does not support gay marriage, but his wife, Elizabeth, does".

[11] As part of her former law practice at Edwards and Eubanks, she represented clients faced with discrimination based on their sexual orientation.