[3] Judge Dillon is married to Ann (née Finley), a special education teacher with whom he has had five children:  Sally, Matt, Anna, Molly, and Sam.

In 2011, he returned to private practice, representing a number of small business owners, professionals, and a state occupational licensing board.

In 2018, Judge Dillon was awarded his LLM degree from the Duke University School of Law in the field of Judicial Studies.

Throughout his career, Judge Dillon has served on a number of civic boards and committees, including DHIC, Inc. (formerly Downtown Housing Improvement Corporation), the North Carolina Bar Association, and the Friends of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.

[5] in 2019, Judge Dillon made national news when he ruled that free speech criticizing police was committing the crime of disorderly conduct.