The SC Bar Board of Governors adopted a three-year strategic plan to guide programs and services through 2025. See the below overview including mission, core values and framework of goals.
Mission
The South Carolina Bar serves its members through collaboration, the sharing of information, and by providing quality education to improve South Carolina’s legal profession and the administration of justice.
Core Values
We embrace and promote these core values among our members:
Justice and the Rule of Law | In our daily lives, we honor our oath to the Constitutions of the United States and the State of South Carolina and our privilege to practice our profession.
Service | We serve our community and our profession. We embrace the responsibility to give back to society using our knowledge and skills.
Excellence | We are steadfast in our commitment to the highest standards of quality and professionalism in our pursuit of improving the administration of justice and serving our community.
Health and Well-being | We prioritize the overall physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being of our members because healthy lawyers are critical to serving clients, communities, and the justice system.
Professionalism and Civility | We are committed to treating all with civility, compassion, dignity, and respect.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging | We actively work to ensure the legal profession and the justice system reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. We seek out members of underrepresented groups to add their strength to the legal profession and the advancement of justice in all areas of society. We foster a sense of inclusion and belonging.
Leadership | We serve as and develop leaders for our profession and our communities.
Goals
We live our mission and values of service to our members and the public by focusing on the following goals:
Goal One
Enhancing member value by fostering professional excellence and public service.
Strategic Areas
- Deepen and broaden member engagement with the South Carolina Bar, investing in opportunities that create community across practice area, practice-setting, and location.
- Enhance our members' substantive knowledge and technological competence in service to their clients.
- Advance the highest ethical standards among our members.
- Cultivate awareness and support among our members on access to justice issues.
- Collaborate with judicial partners on issues of importance to the legal profession, diversity, equity and inclusion, and the administration of justice.
Goal Two
Supporting our members' health and well-being to assure that they are equipped to provide effective representation to their clients, avoid burnout, and enjoy the practice of law.
Strategic Areas
- Provide programming and access to services and resources that support our members' physical and mental health and well-being.
- Foster a professional culture that prioritizes wellness.
- Nurture career exploration, development, and transition to facilitate professional satisfaction.
Goal Three
Strengthen the South Carolina Bar and judicial system by actively promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within all areas of the South Carolina Bar, the legal profession, and the judicial system in South Carolina.
Strategic Areas
- Encourage diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within the South Carolina Bar leadership and staff.
- Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within the judiciary by offering education and encouragement of candidates with diverse backgrounds.
- Educate our members about diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility issues related to legal practice.
- Ensure South Carolina Bar governance, programming, administration, and communications practices are diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible.
- Collaborate with middle schools, high schools, undergraduate institutions, law schools and other entities with shared missions of advancing diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility within the profession.
- Periodically compile, evaluate, and publish the data regarding diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility within the South Carolina Bar and the South Carolina judiciary.
Goal Four
Promoting public understanding about the law, the legal profession, and the importance of the organized Bar.
Strategic Areas
- Participate in law-related public and community opportunities to raise public awareness of the importance of the rule of law, independence of the judiciary, and legal services to deepen respect for democratic principles and trust in the justice system.
Goal Five
Sustaining our vision by aligning the South Carolina Bar’s resources, communications, staffing, and governance.
Strategic Areas
- Align staff, volunteer, and financial resources commensurate with Board of Directors-established priorities.
- Communicate effectively with members to create greater understanding of the South Carolina Bar.
- Promote an innovative and member service-focused staff culture.
- Maximize the use of and leverage the value of the South Carolina Bar Building and Conference Center as accessible, safe, and comfortable spaces for staff to work and for our members to gather.
- Sustain a strong fiscal position and effective use of resources.
- Adopt and retain best practices in board governance to build our Board's capacity and focus.