The South Carolina Bar Senior Lawyers Division is the section of the South Carolina Bar which all Bar members who are at least 60 years of age shall be members.

 

E-Help at Your Desk
In coordination with the USC School of Law Pro Bono Program, volunteers will teach the latest technology to members of the Division. If you need assistance or would like to serve as a volunteer that responds to E-Help at Your Desk requests, please click here. For more information, please contact Pam Robinson at robinspd@law.sc.edu or (803) 777-3405. You may also contact Don Wildman at dwildman@jshwlaw.com or (864) 582-8121. 

 

"Religion and the Law" CLE
The Senior Lawyers Division will explore hosting a seminar on religion and the law. Religion and the law are intimately related to the overarching concept of legitimacy which represents our standards of what is right, and those standards are reflected in our values, moral standards and the law. Religion is the primary source of the standards of legitimacy, and Judaism, Christianity and Islam have shaped standards of legitimacy and law in differing ways, both positive and negative. A better understanding of how each religion relates to the rule of law—and especially to democracy and human rights—can help us find peace in a violent world where the forces of globalization have forced once distant competitive religions into closer proximity. For additional information, please contact Rudy Barnes at rudy.barnes.jr@dishmail.net or (803) 345-1212.

2011 Law Day Essay Contest
Spartanburg High School senior Eva Hoffman was honored as the statewide best overall essay winner for the Senior Lawyers Division’s 2011 Law Day Essay Contest. Judge Mark Hayes presented the $1000 award to Ms. Hoffman on Jan. 20 in conjunction with the Bar Convention. To read Ms. Hoffman’s essay, click here. Other winners included Bryan Adams, best ninth grade essay (Fort Mill High School); Ryan Brooks, best 10th grade essay (Bamberg Ehrhardt High School); Shelby Leeanna Parris, best 11th grade essay (James F. Byrnes High School); and Grace Stonecypher, best 12th grade essay (S.C. Homeschool Association).

Judge Mark Hayes also attended a Law Day program at the S.C. School for the Deaf and Blind to present students with a certificate of appreciation for their Law Day essay contest submission. Click here to watch the video.

The 2011 Law Day theme, The Legacy of John Adams, From Boston to Guantanamo, provided an opportunity to assess and celebrate the legacy of John Adams, explore the role of lawyers in defending the rights of the accused and renew our understanding of and appreciation for the fundamental principle of the rule of law. Students were asked to write an essay of 1,000 words or less explaining why the right to an attorney is considered a fundamental principle of the rule of law.

Established in 1958 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Law Day celebrates the American heritage of liberty, justice and equality under the law. Every year, Law Day provides legal professionals and others with opportunities to help students and the public understand how the law protects our freedoms.

The 2012 Law Day theme is No Courts, No Justice, No Freedom. Students have been asked to write about what Justice Felix Frankfurter meant when he wrote, “There can be no free society without law administered through an independent judiciary.” 

Visiting Professorships for Senior Lawyers
Through its Senior Lawyers Program, the Center for International Legal Studies places experienced common law practitioners in visiting professorships at institutions in East Europe and the former republics of the Soviet Union. More than 130 senior lawyers have taken up appointments in the first two years of the program. Click here for additional information.

SC Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
Legal assistance is needed for the following, and volunteer law clerks are available through the Carolina Clerks Program. To accept one of these cases and for additional information, please contact Pamela Robinson at robinspd@law.sc.edu.

Commission on CLE & Specialization Request for Exemption
Active members of the Bar who are at least 60 years of age and who have been admitted to practice law for 30 years or more may submit an affidavit to include year of birth, year of admission (this does not have to be with the S.C. Bar) and the desire to be exempt (exempt status pursuant to Section III. A of the Commission’s regulations shall apply to both the CLE and LEPR requirements). Requests should be submitted to the S.C. Supreme Court Commission on CLE & Specialization, P.O. Box 2138, Columbia, SC 29202. For more information, visit www.commcle.org or contact the Commission at (803) 799-5578 or commcle@bellsouth.net.

Travel Opportunities
The Division is exploring travel destinations for its members. For additional information, please contact Nancy Layman at nancyslayman@sc.rr.com or (803) 776-6999.
 
Quality of Life Resources

2011-12 Executive Council

Bylaws