President’s Page
DeAndrea Gist Benjamin
Gist Law Firm, Columbia

As promised, this year has been a busy and very successful year for the YLD. As my term comes to an end, I would like to thank everyone who has worked hard in making this year a success.

Law Week this year was a huge success across the state. Young lawyers implemented children’s book drives, photo ID and fingerprinting projects, a toy drive, the Lawsuits Projects and Speakers in Schools. The week ended with “Justice Jam,” featuring bands from across the state with at least one attorney member. Profits from the event went to the Bar’s Pro Bono Program.

Congratulations to Tina Herbert who was selected as Young Lawyer of the Year. Tina was recognized on May 31 at the House of Delegates meeting.

I would also like to congratulate Venus Poe on a wonderful retreat and to wish her much success in her upcoming year as YLD President. I encourage you as young lawyers to get involved in the Bar and the YLD. Venus has an outstanding year planned. As I have stated in the past, my YLD involvement has had a tremendous impact on my first 10 years as a practicing attorney. I have developed relationships with lawyers across the state and across the nation as a result of my bar participation, and I have been able to give back to the community through the public service projects implemented by the YLD.

Finally, I would like to thank Tara Smith, the Bar’s YLD liaison, for all that she does for the YLD. Thanks Tara, for going above and beyond the task.

I look forward to continuing to work with each of you next year. Have a happy and safe summer.

When it comes to public interest work, today’s young lawyers have many choices
Clanitra L. Stewart
S.C. Appleseed Legal Justice Center, Columbia

Every year, members of the Young Lawyers Division plan events and activities that give each of us the opportunity to provide much needed assistance, goods, or services to individuals and communities across the state. Through activities like the Cinderella Project, Community Law Week and Wills Clinics, young lawyers are able to get a small taste of what it feels like to go the extra mile for individuals who, while often unable to provide monetary compensation for the help they receive, repay us with their immense gratitude and appreciation. For some attorneys, participating in these scheduled activities may be enough to satisfy their desire to give of themselves to the community. Other attorneys, however, have a thirst to serve the less fortunate that is not as easily quenched. If you find yourself in the latter group, you may want to consider becoming more involved with public interest law.

Long before I took my very first position as a staff attorney for a branch office of the Georgia Legal Services Program, I knew that I wanted to dedicate my professional life to serving low-income individuals in some respect. Although I considered myself to be educated about the options available to me to accomplish this goal, in reality, I was woefully unaware of how many options there really are! As far as I knew—and unfortunately, as far as I had been taught—there were only two options for attorneys seeking a career in public interest law: 1) a position at a legal services program or 2) a position in a public defender’s office. Oh, what one can learn in just a few years! Today, seven years and one state away from where I started, I find myself working with like-minded professionals to help educate others and to promote policy and legislation that will benefit and protect the interests of low-income South Carolinians. Like most other young lawyers, I had not even recognized policy work as a real option when I first began the practice of law.

Many options are available for those interested in policy work. Even if you are not willing to devote your entire career to it, there are still opportunities. Some of the options at your disposal include:

Legal Services Programs
Working at a local legal services program can provide a new or inexperienced attorney with an opportunity to learn about various areas of civil law. Generally, these areas will cover an individual’s most basic legal needs, including family law, landlord-tenant law, public benefits law, unemployment law and other areas. Criminal cases are generally not accepted by legal services programs. Also, funding restrictions for an individual program may limit the type or number of cases handled in a particular substantive area.

Legal services programs usually impose income restrictions on their clientele, which means that a legal services attorney typically will only represent low-income individuals or households. Due to the rapid and incessant proliferation of these cases, even attorneys with freshly printed diplomas work directly on substantive aspects of cases very quickly. For young attorneys who are frustrated that they have been afforded little opportunity for client interaction, this can be a welcome change.

Public Defense
Attorneys who have a desire to practice criminal law may be interested in working at a public defender’s office. Public defenders provide legal representation and advice to indigent defendants in criminal cases. Public defenders are provided by the government to the defendants to satisfy the government’s responsibility under Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S.335 (1963), the U.S Supreme Court case in which it was ruled that the Sixth and 14th Amendments mandate that counsel be provided for criminal defendants who could not afford their own.

Because of the large number of indigent criminal defendants, most public defenders operate with massive caseloads. As with work in a legal services program, an attorney in a public defender’s office will have the opportunity for significant client interaction

Policy Work
For attorneys who have less of a desire to work on a one-on-one basis with clients, policy work may be a viable alternative. Attorneys who work on policy issues typically do not handle individual client cases. Instead, the attorney may focus exclusively on broad policy issues in one or more legal areas that affect low-income individuals statewide. Nonprofit agencies are often the organizations that work on these policy issues. Some of these organizations in South Carolina include:

• S.C. Appleseed Legal Justice Center – A nonprofit organization that provides education for the community and for advocates and works with the courts, administrative agencies, the legislature and other groups to advocate on policy issues for low-income South Carolinians. Impact litigation is a key priority for S.C. Appleseed.
• Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities, Inc. (P&A) – P&A provides assistance to individuals who are disabled in cases where the individual believes he or she was discriminated against due to the disability. P&A attorneys either assist with direct client representation or work with policy issues as needed.
• Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation – This organization helps residents of the Lowcountry by working to preserve heirs’ property. Its goal is to balance the need for fair economic growth and development with the need to ensure that heirs receive the full benefits and value that come with owning property.
• Children’s Law Center – This office provides assistance to other professionals who are working on child neglect cases or cases in the juvenile justice system in an effort to obtain a positive outcome on behalf of the child or children at issue. This center is part of the University of South Carolina and is funded by various grants.
• Pro Bono Cases – Finally, if you are not ready to make a career of public interest work but are willing to donate enough time and energy to handle at least one case for a low-income person, you might consider accepting pro bono cases through the Bar. The Bar’s Pro Bono Program allows attorneys to sign up to help with cases in many areas of the law in one or more counties. More information about the Bar’s Pro Bono Program can be found at www.scbar.org/member/probono.asp.

Clanitra L. Stewart is a staff attorney with the S.C. Appleseed Legal Justice Center. She works in the areas of Housing Law and Community Economic Development.

Pointers for the young lawyer considering a job change
Benjamin A. Traywick
Young Clement Rivers, LLP, Charleston

According to recent research, only one third of all American workers are so content with their current job that they will not explore at least the possibility of making a change during 2007. Nearly half the workforce is actively seeking new employment this year. Of course, other information suggests the propriety of a healthy skepticism when considering the robustness of the studies that produced these statistics. Still, the numbers are staggering, and lawyers are no exception to the trend away from life-long employment and toward professional vagabondism.

The easy part for a young lawyer considering a job change is to know what he or she is looking for: improved short- and long-term financial picture, congenial environment, prestigious firm, clear and preferably brief path to partnership and the type of work the lawyer prefers. There are others, of course, and the list’s content and priority varies from one job seeker to another. But for a young lawyer—as for the foot soldier of any industry—it is not the goal but the process that he or she undergoes to reach the goal that is so difficult to comprehend. Will I find my calling in the profession? How am I going to develop a client base? How am I supposed to get by on this salary for the next seven years? Didn’t these guys have student loans, for God’s sake? The young lawyer confronts these and many other opacities on a daily basis.

Never is the process more bewildering than when the young lawyer is considering a job change. Abstractly, the job search sits arm in arm with the omelette-less hangover and the unanaesthetized root canal. But when it is one’s own career at the crossroads, even the misery and aggravation of the Dave Odom era seems an attenuated ache by comparison. So changing jobs is both very common among young lawyers and very difficult. The Bar Tab presents a few pointers:

Ain’t nothing confidential
Confidentiality is a pillar of the profession, on par with honesty, intelligence and a strong work ethic. You might say that without confidentiality, the practice of law as we know it would collapse…like a bunch of broccoli mayhap, or otherwise.  In any event, there is no denying confidentiality’s central importance to legal professionals. But the footnote never dropped in the Professional Responsibility casebook—likely because it is a proposition so obvious—is that it is the client’s confidences that are safeguarded so steadfastly. To a law firm, the confidences of a job-seeking young lawyer are about as sacrosanct as a litigation associate’s weekend family time.  Is it advisable for a young lawyer considering a job change to request that his inquiry be kept in confidence? It is, but the seeker should know that the law firm has every reason to ask around, and no particular reason not to.

You won’t get what you don’t ask for
This time-worn adage reflects the attitude of tough negotiators everywhere, and it has two separate applications to the young lawyer’s job search. First, unless one has specific knowledge of a firm’s hiring criteria, it makes little sense to eliminate from your list an employer you’d like to work for on the basis of an assumption: “There’s no way these guys will take me, my 2.9 and my minimal experience.” In a given instance that very well may be true, but an informal survey of young, job-changing lawyers suggests that many firms’ criteria are less stringent than one might think, especially in the case of lateral hiring. Second, once it gets down to what Lily von Stoop called “bwath tackth,” don’t look at your offer as an adhesion contract. Oftentimes a young lawyer will behave toward an offer of gainful employment in the manner of a bull redfish toward a panicking finger mullet on a mud flat: hook, line, sinker, etc. Instead, a young lawyer should realize he or she does not altogether lack bargaining power. If an offer is on the table, the young lawyer is by definition a valuable commodity, and he or she should act accordingly.

Now is your chance to ask questions
Many young lawyers leave their jobs for personal and practical reasons unrelated to their then-current job: moving to a new city (usually Charleston), starting a family, etc. Oftentimes, though, the decision includes a strong grass-is-greener component: better pay, brighter future, more interesting work, etc. Optimists describe this scenario as seeking a more fulfilling opportunity; realists call it being fed up. Whatever the case, the disgruntled job seeker undoubtedly brought to his current job the same sky-high hopes that he will bring to his shiny new job. How could things have gone so wrong? Obviously, the universe of possible reasons for job dissatisfaction is limitless. But the same is not necessarily true of future job dissatisfaction, much of which can be eliminated by asking questions on the front end. Indeed, in a productive courtship leading to a healthy relationship, information will flow freely in both directions. The young lawyer submits a resume; he or she should ask the employer for the organizational equivalent. The young lawyer assumes the yoke of mandatory expectation; he or she should ask the employer to reciprocate, so that later unpleasant surprise is minimized. By leaving as few stones unturned as possible, the job seeker, unlike The Seeker, may get what he’s after before the day he dies.

First Annual YLD Convention Oyster Roast
Rebecca A. Roser
Robinson, McFadden & Moore, PC, Columbia

The YLD celebrated the 2007 Bar Convention with an Oyster Roast at the Historic Rice Mill Building in downtown Charleston on January 26. Surrounded by tables of oysters, chili and drinks, more than 200 young lawyers from all over the state enjoyed the company, conversation and camaraderie of other young lawyers. To view pictures from the event, click here.

Young lawyers, mark your calendars now! This event will be part of the 2008 Bar Convention scheduled for January 24-27, in Charleston.

Record High Attendance at Minority Pre-Law Conference
Tina N. Herbert
McAngus Goudelock & Courie, LLC, Columbia

The Division held its annual Minority Pre-Law Conference on February 9 at Benedict College. Twenty law schools sent representatives for recruitment. Minority students attended from the University of South Carolina, The Citadel, South Carolina State University, Allen University, and Benedict College. This year marked the highest number of undergraduate schools represented. The program consisted of law school recruitment and two panel discussion on careers and the law school admissions and financial aid. The students also received information for preparing for the LSAT. For the first time, two Kaplan LSAT prep course scholarships were given to participants. Students had to participate in a personal statement contest to win. The winners were from the University of South Carolina and Benedict College. The South Carolina Bar program participants included: Darryl Caldwell, Michelle Hurley, Christopher Hart, Tigerron Wells and Tina Herbert. Two USC School of Law students, Bakari Sellers and Monte Bell, also participated in the program. The program was a great success!

Cinderella Success

YLD, along with the Upsilon Omega Omega Chapter of the AKA, held its annual Columbia Cinderella Boutique on March 3 at the USC School of Law. More than 100 people were lined up at the door at 9 a.m. Up to 500 dresses, along with jewelry and other accessories, were collected. There were approximately 250 girls in attendance. Thank you to the following companies and individuals for their generous support and assistance with this project: Bonefish Grill, Fatz Café, Ed Robinson Dry Cleaning, M Boutique, S.C. Dept. of Consumer Affairs, Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte, LLC, St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church, The Swanky Boutique, Tara Austin, Jack Barnes, Jason Bobertz, Shannon Bobertz, Childs Cantey, Michelle Clayton, Tina Cundari, Beth Davis, Sarah Forbes-Jones, Terra Futch, Emily Gifford, Suzi Grigg, Carrie Grube, Daniel Hayes, Amy Hill, Aisha Lusk, Cory Manning, Denise Moore, Shannon Poteat, Rebecca Roser, Jenny Sarvis, Nicole Singletary, Jessica Stokes, and Ashley Tobias. Click here to view a photo slideshow from the Columbia boutique.

Volunteers for the Aiken Cinderella Project pulled double duty. Boutiques were held on March 28 at Midland Valley High School and April 12 at South Aiken High School. Approximately 125 dresses were collected, along with shoes, makeup, jewelry and purses. Miss Teen Aiken County Haley Pope donated her time to assist with the boutique at both schools.

Thank you to following companies and volunteers for their donations and assistance with the project: The Aiken Community, Beth Beckham, Jessica Brumfield, Kim Ryans, Christy Tyner, Robert Chapman of BC&S Construction, Disabled American Veterans of Aiken, Maxwell Law Firm, Rick Osbon of Osbon’s Cleaners, Lionel Smith, Ltd. and S.C. Independent Living Council.

The Beaufort Cinderella Boutique was incredible! Five high schools participated at the March 3 event, and up to 400 dresses, along with other accessories, were collected. More than 250 dresses were given away. Thank you to the following companies and volunteers for their support: Buist, Byars, Pearce & Taylor, LLC, Coastal Land Title, Inc., McNair Law Firm, Nexsen Pruet, LLC, Spotted Dog Marketplace, Tupper, Grimsley & Dean, PA, Vaux & Marscher, PA, and Andrea Easler. Click here to view a photo slideshow from the Columbia boutique.

The Charleston Cinderella Project also pulled double duty. In conjunction with St. Matthew’s Community Outreach Center, boutiques were held on March 3 and March 10. Almost 175 dresses, along with jewelry, shoes and other accessories, were given away. Every girl received at least two accessories (makeup, skin care items, hair care products, face and body lotions, etc.).

Leftover items were donated to a consignment shop in the name of the YLD Cinderella Project. Proceeds will benefit next year’s project. A special thank you goes to: Amber Antley, Ellen Babb, Kristen Nichols, and volunteers from St. Matthew’s Outreach Center.

The Greenville Cinderella Boutique was held on March 31 behind The Peace Center for the Performing Arts. More than 400 dresses, along with makeup, jewelry, shoes and gift cards, were collected. Almost 160 dresses were given away. In addition to selecting prom attire, the girls also were able to touch up on their social graces and etiquette, compliments of Miss Greenville County.

Thank you to the following “fairy godmothers” for their generous support: Castle, Gregory Ellenburg Pageant & Special Occasions, Events on Main, Faces by Lacresha, Goodwill, PumpkinDrop Locations, Muse Shoe Studio, Paul Bailey Photography, Southern Bride, Talbots, The Junior League of Greenville, The Poinsett Bride, Leatherwood Walker Todd & Mann, PC, and Martin & Brasington.

Thank you to the following volunteers: Nichole Andrighetti, Courtney Atkinson, Erin H. Brasington, Nicole J. Buntin, Austin Clay, Carrie Fisher, Tiffany Freeman, Kimberly Grande, Sallie Holder, Wanda Hunt, Shontavia Jackson, Zandra Johnson, Margaret McGee, Erika Newsom, Katharine D. Phipps, Emily T. Whitney and Frances Zacher.

Click here to view pictures from the event.
                          
More than 70 young ladies attended the Greenwood Cinderella Boutique that took place on March 17 at Greenwood Mall in conjunction with Greenwood City Victim Services, S.C. Legal Services and the Watson Law Firm. More than 120 dresses, along with accessories, were given away.

Thank you to the following companies and volunteers for their support: Papa Johns, One Stop Cleaners, Exxon, Greenwood Mall Manager Rhonda Irvin, JC Penny, The Crate, Two Timers Consignment Shop, the Eighth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, Jerry W. Peace, Abbeville County Victim Services, and Towne Square Shoppes.

Donations of cosmetics, shoes, purses, hosiery and dresses were received from individuals, college sororities and other local businesses who contributed. Special thanks to Angela Castillo, Genene Edwards, Sam Mobley and Velvet Moore.

Young Lawyer of the Year Award

Congratulations to Tina N. Herbert for being recognized as the Young Lawyer of the Year. Tina has worked hard in the community and for the Young Lawyers Division for many years and is very deserving of this award. Congratulations Tina!!!

Lawyers Rock!
Ginny A. Nissen
Ellis, Lawhorne & Sims, PA, Columbia

Thanks to the service and commitment of a group of YLD members and members of our community at large, Justice Jam 2007 raised more than $3,000 for the Bar’s Pro Bono Program! On May 5, 2007, in celebration of Community Law Week, bands with at least one attorney member volunteered their services for a night of bluegrass, rock and roll, oldies and folk music. In addition to the great entertainment, a silent auction was held from 6:30 until 10 p.m. Auctioned items included a vacation home getaway on Edisto Island for one-week, financial advisor services, an iPod, artwork by local artists, and personal training passes.

With the help and participation of the 3,000 active YLD members statewide, this event has the potential to be the largest fundraiser in the history of the Bar! Planning for Justice Jam 2008 begins soon. If you are interested in helping with this Committee, please contact Tara Smith, Membership Services Manager, at tsmith@scbar.org or visit www.scbar.org/pdf/YLD/07YLDsignup.pdf.

For more information on the Pro Bono Program, please visit www.scbar.org/member/probono.asp.

Special thanks:
Analog Moon
Ancient Grease
Kevin Antley, The Athlete Factory
Will H. Edwards, Moore, Taylor & Thomas
James Ervin, Poag & Kelly
John Frick, The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc.
Christie Funchess, First American Title Insurance Company
Byers Greer and The Gallery at DuPRE
Tina Herbert, McAngus, Goudelock & Courie
Investor’s Title Insurance Company
Jillian’s
Shelby Leonardi, Nelson Mullins
Josh Lonon, The Lonon Law Firm
Los Bastardos
Ginny Nissen, Ellis, Lawhorne & Sims
Michael J. Oana and Team Oana Investment Advisors
Jennifer Olmert
Travis Olmert, Carter, Smith, Merriam, Rogers & Traxler
Beth Richardson, Nelson Mullins
Pam Robinson, USC Law Pro Bono Program
Rocky Mountain Oysters
Ron Dunbar Band
Jennifer Rubin, Rogers, Townsend & Thomas
Stronghold Athletic Club

And especially ... all the attendees and bidders!

YLD relief project provides assistance to Plaquemines Parish
Brian M. Knowles
Cutchin Law Firm, PC, Mt. Pleasant

The Plaquemines Parish Relief Project was a tremendous success. The gracious donations of individuals from around the state allowed us to raise $800 in monetary donations, 23 boxes of school related books, two boxes of magazines, and one box of school supplies. The Plaquemines Parish School District is very appreciative of the generosity of the citizens of our state and of the Bar’s efforts in coordinating this project (click here to view letter). The Disaster Relief Committee would like to thank everyone involved for a successful venture and looks forward to working in the future on additional projects to provide assistance to those who have faced a disaster.

Courthouse Keys
Theile B. McVey
John D. Kassel, Attorney at Law, LLC, Columbia

The Courthouse Keys Committee hosted a reception on March 8 at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough in Columbia. Special guests included Judge Joe Anderson, Judge Tommy Cooper and Judge Leslie Riddle.

16th Judicial Circuit hosts reception
W. Chaplin Spencer Jr.
Spencer & Spencer, PA, Rock Hill

The 16th Judicial Circuit hosted a reception on May 31 at the Atotech Room in Rock Hill with special guest Judge Lee S. Alford offering tips from the bench. For example be courteous to opposing counsel; discourteous behavior is not only rude to opposing counsel but also distracts the judge and the jury. Judge Alford enjoys seeing young lawyers appear before him and making suggestions to help these lawyers become better advocates. Judge Alford and several young lawyers discussed their first trials as well. The participating young lawyers should be better prepared and feel more comfortable appearing before Judge Alford in the future.

Community Law Week Wrap-Up

Second Judicial Circuit
Tom Young

Children’s Book Drive: Children’s books were collected and donated to Children's Place, Inc. in Aiken. 

Lawsuits Project: Gently worn business attire was collected and donated to Goodwill.

Thank you to volunteers Chris Wilson, Christy Tyner, and Walt Wood.

Fourth Judicial Circuit
Martin S. Driggers Jr.

Children’s Book/Toy Drive: Several drop-off locations were designated and advertised in the community, including the Hartsville Family YMCA, the Heritage Community Bank, and Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center.

Member Drop-In: A Community Law Fellowship brought together attorneys from across the Fourth Circuit, including Darlington, Hartsville and Chesterfield, on the Friday of Law Week. The effort received extensive local media attention. Young lawyers were interviewed by the Florence Morning News about the purpose of Law Week and to highlight the work of lawyers in the community.

Speakers in Schools: Several lawyers participated in the Speakers in Schools program, where attorneys went to several elementary schools to discuss their careers with students. Trey Watts, Brian Braddock, and Martin Driggers Jr. took time out of their week to share their knowledge about careers in law with students in Darlington County.

Eighth Judicial Circuit
Tripp Padgett

Children’s Book Drive: The generosity of the Greenwood bar is alive and well!!!  Lawyers in the Eighth Circuit collected more than 200 books for Meg’s House. Thanks to each of you who donated, those who wanted to donate but could not get around to it, and even those who just thought of donating. All good things, like these donations, start with that thought.

Ninth Judicial Circuit
Kevin Mims

Children’s Book Drive: The Ninth Circuit was pleased to participate in the Ready Reader Program in cooperation with the Junior League of Charleston and Communities in Schools to benefit Charleston County elementary and middle schools. Our efforts led to the collection of approximately 300 books, plus monies donated to purchase additional books at a local retailer. Thanks to the lawyers who hosted drop-off points for book collection and to everyone who participated in this project through their donations.

Supper Social: The Ninth Circuit also hosted a ‘Supper Social’ at the Jenkins Institute for Children. Young lawyers had the opportunity to meet and socialize with the children in a casual setting followed by dinner and shared words of wisdom and encouragement with these special young people both individually and collectively over the course of the evening. The event was a great success, and several young lawyers have maintained contact with some of the children. A special thanks to Beth Middleton Burke for her invaluable contributions to this event.

10th Judicial Circuit
T. Matthew Bradley

Children’s Book/Toy Drive, Member Luncheon and Lawsuits Project: May 4th signified the end of Community Law Week around South Carolina, and it gave an opportunity for members of the 10th Circuit to gather for a Member Luncheon that featured special guest, the Hon. Chrissy T. Adams, 10th Circuit Solicitor. Young lawyers in the 10th Circuit participated in Community Law Week by donating to charities through a Children’s Toy and Book Drive to benefit the children of Safe Harbor in Anderson, and through a Lawsuits Project that collected gently worn business attire that was then donated to United Way of Anderson. The donation collection was a great success, and it was an honor to be a part of an opportunity to give back to the community.

11th Judicial Circuit
Christy Jones

DSS Visitation Room Project: On May 7, the playroom at Saluda County DSS received a much-needed facelift, thanks to the Young Lawyers Division. Holes in the walls were patched, and the walls received a fresh coat of paint along with a seaside-themed mural. The children also will enjoy a new rug designed as a racetrack and a colorful new lamp. The institutional feeling to the room has been banished, and the overall result is closer to a home’s playroom. Special thanks to Tom Curtis for providing his artistic talent and vision, as well as his valuable time.

Fingerprinting Project: On April 29, the YLD teamed up with the Lexington Police Department to fingerprint and provide fingerprinting kits to at least 35 Lexington area children. Corporal Doug Lee of the Lexington Police Department’s Community Action Team was on hand to talk to the children about saying no to drugs and staying safe. Parents were enthusiastic to receive fingerprinting kits, which help provide peace of mind should an emergency happen. The children also received pencils and coloring books, which contained safety tips and other valuable teaching resources for parents and children alike. Law enforcement’s interaction with youth is one important key to crime prevention, and the entire community benefited from the afternoon’s activities. Special thanks go to Corporal Lee as well as to Debra Galloway of the Player Law Firm for her time and assistance.

12th Judicial Circuit
Guy Ballenger

Kids Photo ID/Fingerprinting: The Young Lawyer’s Division, in conjunction with McLeod Health, participated in Family A-Fair on April 21. Members from the YLD assisted at the photo ID/fingerprinting station. Photo identification cards were made for more than 50 local children. Each card contained the child’s name, date of birth, address, height and weight, and drug allergies. The child’s photograph was on the front of the card, and a thumbprint was located on the back. These cards are invaluable tools for law enforcement when children become missing.

13th Judicial Circuit
Trey Suggs

Speakers in Schools: A group of three attorneys, two defense lawyers and one solicitor, presented on the topics of The Youthful Offenders Act and prosecuting juveniles as adults to special education students at Mauldin High School. According to Elizabeth Wiygul, who was instrumental in organizing the speakers, the students were very receptive to the presentation, and the process was highly interactive. She reported that it was a definite success, and we plan to expand the project to additional schools next year.

14th Judicial Circuit
Andrea Easler

Membership Social: We had a nice turnout for the 14th Circuit Community Law Week Membership Social at Okatie Ale House. Attorneys from Hilton Head, Bluffton, Beaufort and Walterboro were in attendance.

Fifteenth Judicial Circuit
Amanda Bailey

Kids Photo ID/Fingerprinting: With the assistance of the Horry County Sheriff's Department, the 15th Circuit hosted a Children's Photo ID and Fingerprinting Event at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach. We successfully fingerprinted and produced photo identifications for approximately 50 children between the ages of six months and 15 years old. We also had a great deal of interest from parents in the Pocket Legal Counselors, the Ask-A-Lawyer program and Lawyer Referral Service brochures.

Special thanks to the following volunteers: Horry County Sheriff's Department: Captain Susan Safford (organizer), Deputy Don Burns (volunteer) and Deputy Marie Lewis (volunteer); Young Lawyers: Chris Williams and Dan Butler.

16th Judicial Circuit
Susan Driscoll

Children’s Book Drive: Thanks to the cooperation of the City of Tega Cay, the Moss Justice Center and the Museum of York County, we were able to collect several large boxes of books. These three collection points allowed more people to have access to a drop box for the books. Thanks to all those who participated in the drive!

FY2007-08 Committee Sign Up

Get in on the action. For information on how to sign up for 2007-08 YLD projects and to download a copy of the Committee Sign Up brochure, please visit www.scbar.org/pdf/YLD/07YLDsignup.pdf.

Submissions needed

If you are interested in submitting an article or item of news, humor, insight, or interest to young lawyers for future issues of The Bar Tab, please contact:

Benjamin A. Traywick, Editor
Young Clement Rivers, LLP
28 Broad St.
Charleston, SC  29401
(843) 720-5459 / (843) 579-1303 (fax)
btraywick@ycrlaw.com

P.O. Box 608
Columbia, SC 29202

Editor:
Benjamin A. Traywick

FY2007-08 committee members:
Magalie Boyer, Steven Epps, Tracy Frick, Desiree Nemec, Clanitra L. Stewart

The Bar Tab is published quarterly by the Young Lawyers Division of the South Carolina Bar, 950 Taylor St.,
P.O. Box 608, Columbia, SC 29202-0608. www.scbar.org. Copyright © 2006 South Carolina Bar. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the opinions or policies of the Young Lawyers Division or the South Carolina Bar. Unauthorized reproduction or use of the materials contained herein is prohibited.