Serving our members, so they can serve their clients and communities.
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.
Background & History
The South Carolina Bar has existed in some capacity since the founding of the Carolina colonies. In 1884, the voluntary South Carolina Bar Association was officially established with approximately 200 lawyers. In 1968, the South Carolina State Bar was created as a mandatory organization for attorney licensing and discipline. The South Carolina Supreme Court merged the two organizations in 1975 (Rule 410 SCACR) to create the unified judicial system we have today.
Purposes of the South Carolina Bar
"The purposes of the organization shall be to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of South Carolina; to protect, and maintain respect for, representative government; to continually improve the administration of justice throughout the State; to require the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct, and uphold the integrity and honor of the legal profession; to advance the science of jurisprudence; to promote consistent high quality of legal education and legal services to the public; to apply the knowledge, experience and ability of the legal profession to the promotion of the public good; to encourage goodwill and respect for integrity and excellence in public service among the members of the legal profession and the public; to perform any additional purposes and duties assigned to it by the Supreme Court of South Carolina; and to promote and correlate such policies and activities of the Bar as fall within these purposes in the interest of the legal profession and the public.”
View Rule 410
About our members
We have more than 19,000 members who practice in South Carolina, across the country and around the world.
Resources for lawyers
The Bar offers a variety of resources for lawyers including a vast selection of CLE courses, publications, free access to vLex Fastcase, practice management assistance, free mental health counseling services, an ethics helpline, pro bono and volunteer opportunities and more.
Help for the public
South Carolinians can find an attorney online via the SC Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service or attend a free legal clinic in their local community when available. We offer regular Law Talk sessions at local libraries as well as Law School for Non-Lawyers through community colleges. We provide training, workshops and materials for teachers and school resource officers in addition to coordinating mock trial programs across the state. Members of the public can also find information on our website about pro bono resources and common legal topics.
Leadership
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The Board of Governors establishes the strategic direction and vision for the Bar, and the House of Delegates (comprised of representatives from each judicial circuit and section delegates) establishes policy for the Bar. The executive director oversees the staff and is responsible to the Board for the Bar's day-to-day operations.
Strategic Plan
The SC Bar Board of Governors is developing a new strategic plan in Spring 2025 to drive the Bar's mission and vision forward through the next two years.
Member Benefits
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The Bar offers a variety of resources for lawyers including a vast selection of CLE courses, publications, free access to vLex Fastcase, practice management assistance, free mental health counseling services, an ethics helpline, pro bono and volunteer opportunities and more.
Past Presidents
1884: A.G. McGrath, Charleston
1885: W.W. Harlee, Florence
1886: James H. Rion, Winnsboro
1887: J.J. Maher, Barnwell
1888: Charles Richardson Miles, Charleston
1889: Henry E. Young, Charleston
1890: George W. Croft, Aiken
1891: S.P. Hamilton, Chester
1892: B.F. Whitner, Anderson
1902: C.A. Woods, Marion
1903: J.E. McDonald, Winnsboro
1904: H.J. Haynsworth, Greenville
1905: Robert W. Shand, Columbia
1906: Robert Aldrich, Barnwell
1907: Joshua H. Hudson, Bennettsville
1908: John C. Sheppard, Edgefield
1909: George Johnstone, Newberry
1910: M.L. Bonham, Anderson
1911: P.H. Nelson, Columbia
1912: Knox Livingston, Bennettsville
1912: D.S. Henderson, Aiken
1913: Ralph K. Carson, Spartanburg
1914: F.B. Grier, Columbia
1915: J. Lyles Glenn, Chester
1916: Thomas W. Bacot, Charleston
1917: Thomas P. Cothran, Greenville
1918: John P. Thomas Jr., Columbia
1919: P.A. Willcox, Florence
1920: William D. Melton, Columbia
1921: Charles C. Sims, Barnwell
1922: C.J. Ramage, Saluda
1923: William H. Lyles, Columbia
1924: George B. Cromer, Newberry
1925: Fred L. Willcox, Florence
1926: J.H. Marion, Chester
1927: P.F. Henderson, Aiken
1928: Arthur R. Young, Charleston
1929: Frank A. Miller, Hartsville
1929: Wilton H. Earle, Greenville
1930s
1930: William S. Nelson, Columbia
1931: John I. Cosgrove, Charleston
1932: Thomas F. McDow, York
1933: T. Frank Watkins, Anderson
1934: Alva M. Lumpkin, Columbia
1935: Thomas M. Boulware, Allendale
1936: M.G. McDonald, Greenwood
1937: J.N. Nathans, Charleston
1938: Frank G. Thompkins, Columbia
1939: Charles W. Muldrow, Florence
1940: Joseph L. Nettles, Columbia
1941: Proctor A. Bonham, Greenville
1942: Sidney S. Tison, Bennettsville
1943: L.W. Perrin, Spartanburg
1944-45: Roach S. Stewart, Lancaster
1946: Christie Benet, Columbia
1947: Edgar A. Brown, Barnwell
1948: George Warren, Hampton
1949: Clinton T. Graydon, Columbia
1950: Frank A. McLeod, Sumter
1951: Samuel R. Watt, Spartanburg
1952: W. Brantley Harvey, Beaufort
1953: Samuel L. Prince, Anderson
1954: Hugh L. Willcox, Florence
1955: Calhoun Mays, Greenwood
1956: David W. Robinson, Columbia
1957: J. Davis Kerr, Spartanburg
1958: Frank H. Bailey, Charleston
1959: H.H. Edens, Columbia
1960: E.P. Riley, Greenville
1961: David A. Gaston, Chester
1962: Edward K. Pritchard, Charleston
1963: Frank B. Gary, Columbia
1964: Thomas H. Pope, Newberry
1965: Edwin W. Johnson, Spartanburg
1966: John M. Scott, Florence
1967: Ben Scott Whaley, Charleston
1968: Leo H. Hill, Greenville
1968: David W. Robinson, Columbia
1969: W.J. McLeod Jr., Walterboro
1969: John M. Spratt, York
1970: Julius W. McKay, Columbia
1970: Robert McC. Figg Jr., Columbia
1971: David L. Freeman, Greenville
1971: Benny R. Greer, Darlington
1972: Robert R. Carpenter, Rock Hill
1972: Henry B. Smythe, Charleston
1973: Harold W. Jacobs, Columbia
1973-74: William M. Wilson, Camden
1974: deRosset Myers, Charleston
1974-75: James C. Parham Jr., Greenville
1975-76: Claude M. Scarborough Jr., Columbia
1976-77: Louis P. Howell, Spartanburg
1977-78: William L. Pope, Columbia
1978-79: J.D. Todd Jr., Greenville
1979-80: Morris D. Rosen, Charleston
1980-81: Saunders M. Bridges, Florence
1981-82: Thomas S. Tisdale Jr., Charleston
1982-83: Terrell L. Glenn, Columbia
1983-84: Knox L. Haynsworth Jr., Greenville
1984-85: Jacob H. Jennings, Bishopville
1985-86: I.S. Leevy Johnson, Columbia
1986-87: W. Brantley Harvey Jr., Beaufort
1987-88: T. Emmet Walsh, Spartanburg
1988-89: John E. Johnston, Greenville
1989-90: Wade H. Logan III, Charleston
1990-91: Howard P. King, Sumter
1991-92: Wm. Douglas Gray, Anderson
1992-93: John A. Hagins Jr., Greenville
1993-94: Elaine H. Fowler, Columbia
1994-95: J. Rutledge Young Jr., Charleston
1995-96: Wilburn Brewer Jr., Columbia
1996-97: David A. Merline, Greenville
1997-98: Henry B. Smythe Jr., Charleston
1998-99: John O. McDougall, Sumter
1999-00: D. Michael Kelly, Columbia
2000-01: G. Dewey Oxner Jr., Greenville
2001-02: Elizabeth Van Doren Gray, Columbia
2002-03: Richard S. Rosen, Charleston
2003-04: Kenneth C. Anthony Jr., Spartanburg
2004-05: F. Earl Ellis Jr., Columbia
2005-06: Daniel B. White, Greenville
2006-07: Bradish J. Waring, Charleston
2007-08: Lanneau Wm. Lambert Jr., Columbia
2008-09: Flo Lester Vinson, Florence
2009-10: Fred W. Suggs Jr., Greenville
2010-11: Carl L. Solomon, Columbia
2011-12: A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr., Greenville
2012-13: Angus H. Macaulay, Columbia
2013-14: Alice F. Paylor, Charleston
2014-15: J. Calhoun Watson, Columbia
2015-16: Anne S. Ellefson, Greenville
2016-17: William K. Witherspoon, Columbia
2017-18: Elizabeth H. Warner, Moncks Corner
2018-19: M. Dawes Cooke Jr., Charleston
2019-20: Beverly A. Carroll, Rock Hill
2020-21: Roy F. Laney, Columbia
2021-22: Mary E. Sharp, Beaufort
2022-23: J. Hagood Tighe, Columbia
2023-24: Rusty Infinger, Greenville