Born in Anderson, South Carolina,[3] Wilkins received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Davidson College in 1964 and a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina Law School in 1967.
He was a law clerk to then chief judge, Clement Haynsworth, of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 1969 to 1970.
[4] Wilkins was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on July 9, 1981, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina vacated by Judge Robert W. Hemphill.
[4] Wilkins was nominated by President Reagan on June 3, 1986, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit vacated by Judge Emory M. Sneeden.
[4] He presently leads Nexsen Pruet law firm's Appellate Advocacy, Corporate Compliance / Crisis Management, and White Collar Crime practices and is active with the firm's business litigation practice.