Setting the bar high

Compassionate, driven, smart as a whip and a true leader. These are just a few words and phrases that describe Taylor Gilliam. An Eagle Scout and a Citadel graduate, this young lawyer has built upon the qualities instilled in him during his formative years as he gives back tirelessly to the profession and his community. For these efforts Gilliam has been named the 2020 Young Lawyer of the Year. The award is presented annually by the SC Bar Young Lawyers Division (YLD) to a member who exemplifies excellence in practicing law and public service

“There is no one more deserving,” said his co-worker and nominator, Susan Hackett. “While working with Taylor for the past three and a half years, I have observed his dedication to the law through his tireless efforts on behalf of his clients as an appellate defender, his participation in Bar activities, and his involvement in the community.”

Gilliam spends his days representing indigent criminal defendants at the South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense and his free time as co-chair of the YLD Wills Committee, incoming chair of YLD Diversity Committee, and chair of the Richland County Bar Public Service Committee.

“It's been that way since high school, and I'm not really sure why,” Gilliam said in reference to the origin of his passion for community service. “I was in JROTC back then, and we had an Army instructor named First Sergeant Alexander Baker. His mantra, which we repeated at the beginning and end of every class was ‘Do the right thing.’ It's a simple phrase to be sure, but one that has served me well.”

A husband and father of two boys, Gilliam also serves the Midlands community in a variety of roles including as secretary of the Mount Hebron United Methodist Day School Board, past chair of the Lexington Citadel Club, and a member of the Brookland Cayce High School Education Foundation and the Legal Eagles of the Indian Waters Council.

“I try to step up when able, and it's been a fun adventure so far,” said Gilliam. “I grew up in the Midlands, and I have enjoyed staying active with various organizations. With the resources we have at our disposal as attorneys, it just makes sense to volunteer to serve on boards and committees, plan Bar events and CLEs, and help with fundraisers. I enjoy helping people, and the Bar has made it easy."

Through his leadership as chair of the Richland County Bar Public Service Committee, Gilliam oversees the bi-monthly Homeless Experience Legal Protection (HELP) clinics at Transitions. He’s helped organize the annual “Practical Knowledge for Any Attorney” CLE, where attendees learn basic information about all areas of practice, including expungements, child custody and visitation, and landlord/tenant law. At the end of the course, participants are asked to volunteer at the clinic to help the homeless.

“My observations of and experiences with Taylor reflect only a fraction of his involvement with the South Carolina Bar, the Young Lawyers Division, and the Richland County Bar and in other endeavors in the community. His service to the legal profession and to the public are remarkable,” said SC Bar Pro Bono Director Betsy Goodale.

Jack Cohoon, special counsel at Burnette, Schutt & McDaniel, has volunteered with Gilliam and the two serve on the Legal Eagles of the Indian Waters Council. The duo recently collaborated on Law Day for Scouts, a large-scale event where the legal and law enforcement communities come together to help scouts earn the law merit badge.  

“Taylor Gilliam exemplifies the ideals of services found in our attorney’s oath to ‘assist the defenseless or oppressed’ and the Scout oath to ‘help other people at all times,’” said Cohoon. “Taylor is a credit to Scouting, to the Young Lawyers Division, and to the profession, and I can think of no one more deserving of recognition of Young Lawyer of the Year.”