Posted in: Public
COLUMBIA, S.C. (April 26, 2017)—Kirby D. Shealy III of Adams and Reese, LLP in Columbia has been named the 2017 Mentor of the Year by the SC Bar. Shealy was recognized at a banquet on April 10 and presented the award by Justice John W. Kittredge.
The G. Dewey Oxner Jr. Mentor of the Year Award is presented annually to an individual serving as a mentor to a new lawyer through the Supreme Court’s Lawyer Mentoring Program, which is administered by the Bar. The program connects new lawyers, who have recently been admitted to the practice of law, with experienced lawyers for a year-long mentorship.
Shealy was nominated by his current mentee, who noted him to be extremely helpful in his growth as an associate and in identifying his direction in the practice of law, aiding the mentee through a difficult professional transition. The mentee said, "Mr. Shealy went above and beyond his duties as my mentor ... I admire his character. I think he is a wonderful person, inside and outside of the courtroom."
In addition to serving the Lawyer Mentoring Program, Shealy serves as a mentor to first-year students at the USC School of Law, mentors third-year students through his capacity as former president of the John Belton O'Neall Inn of Court, and formally mentors associates at his firm, Adams and Reese. Firm attorney Lyndey Zwing said, "Kirby's dedication to helping young lawyers succeed is a testament to his kind and selfless heart and sincere desire to make the legal profession a better place for all who practice."
In November 2013, the Supreme Court of South Carolina’s Chief Justice’s Commission on the Profession created this award, which honors the legacy of one of the giants in the legal profession, G. Dewey Oxner Jr., and his steadfast commitment and leadership in ensuring that the practice of law remains a high calling.
The award spotlights a mentor who not only went the extra mile and provided outstanding support, advice or assistance to the new lawyer, but who also exemplified the highest standards of integrity, civility and professionalism.
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