Nominations are open for the Cotton Harness Peace Award. This award is presented by the South Carolina Bar Dispute Resolution Section. To nominate a potential recipient, send a letter identifying the name and contact information of the person making the nomination, the name and address of the individual or organization being nominated, and an explanation of the reasons for the nomination. The criteria for nomination are below. Nominations should be submitted by July 23, 2026, and may be sent to Amy Snyder, chair of the award subcommittee, at amy@devlawsc.com. You may also include other letters of support for the nominee. If sending hard copies, mail them to the Cotton Harness Peace Award, c/o Amy Snyder, P.O. Box 10387, Greenville, SC 29603. The decision to recognize one or more nominees is at the discretion of the Section Council. The award will be presented at the Bar’s annual meeting in January.
The Cotton Harness Peace Award was established by the Dispute Resolution Section to be given periodically, as determined by the Section Council, to organizations and individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service, leadership or innovation in alternative dispute resolution. The award is named in honor of Connie “Cotton” Harness, who died in 2010. A native of Orangeburg, Cotton Harness received his undergraduate degree from Clemson University and his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He was among the first in South Carolina to recognize the value of alternative dispute resolution and adopt it in his law practice, and he was instrumental in elevating the status of mediation and arbitration throughout the state.
Eligibility
The candidate must be a not-for-profit, nongovernment organization or a person actively engaged in the practice or advancement of alternative dispute resolution.
Criteria/Basis for Selection
- The award should be based upon:
- distinguished and meritorious service to the legal profession and/or the public in the areas of mediation, arbitration and/or other forms of alternative dispute resolution; or
- sustained and meritorious leadership within the legal profession or to the public in the area of alternative dispute resolution; or
- a commitment to developing alternative dispute resolution practice through education, innovation and/or scholarship.
- The service, leadership and development for which the candidate is considered may consist of either a significant instance of particular conduct or sustained service, leadership or development activities.
- The candidate may be honored for recent conduct or for service in the past.
Previous winners of the award are Judge William L. Howard Sr.; Capers G. Barr III; C.C. “Cotton” Harness III; Robert M. Erwin Jr.; Chief Justice David W. Harwell; Robert W. Hassold Jr.; Mary L. Bryan; Thornwell F. “Biff” Sowell; Harry Goldberg; the Upstate Mediation Center; Ben Pogue; and Sam Clawson.
