Name Organization Speaking At
Amy Cox
Amy W. Cox was born and raised in Spartanburg and is a proud graduate of Paul M. Dorman High School. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a strong emphasis in accounting from University of South Carolina, Upstate. She went on to earn her Juris Doctorate from University of South Carolina, School of Law after which she became an Assistant Solicitor for Richland County.
During her time as an Assistant Solicitor, Ms. Cox prosecuted cases ranging from worthless check charges to criminal sexual conduct with a minor, 1 st degree. She also served as the main domestic violence prosecutor for Richland County for approximately 18 months. She currently serves on the board for Safe Homes Rape Crisis Center.
Ms. Cox taught several CLEs over the years covering Worthless Check Law, Changes to the Domestic Violence Statute, and Trial Advocacy.
She was honored to be given the opportunity to serve as the Associate Probate Judge for Spartanburg County in January of 2018. In that capacity, she gained the skills and knowledge to handle staffing and administration issues. She was appointed to the Clerk of Court position by Governor Henry McMaster on January 22, 2019. She is very proud and grateful to have the privilege to serve the citizens Spartanburg County.
Ms. Cox has worked closely with the Spartanburg County Bar, Seventh Circuit Judges and with Chief Justice Beatty on ideas to keep the court system in Spartanburg County moving forward safely.
Spartanburg County
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Angela Moss
S.C. Judicial Branch
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Barbara Seymour
Barbara Seymour represents
lawyers, law firms, judges, and law students in matters related to ethics,
professional discipline, and Bar admissions at Clawson & Staubes, LLC. She
earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Management and Marketing from the University of
North Carolina at Greensboro in 1990 and her Juris Doctor from the University
of Georgia in 1993. Barbara worked as a trial lawyer until 2000 when she joined
the staff of the Office of Disciplinary Counsel. She served as the Deputy
Disciplinary Counsel from 2007 until 2017. Barbara is a member of the South
Carolina Bar, the State Bar of Georgia, the Association of Professional
Responsibility Lawyers, the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility, and the
South Carolina Women Lawyers Association. She currently serves on the Law
Related Education, Professional Responsibility, Unauthorized Practice of Law,
and Diversity Committees at the South Carolina Bar. She was a 2006 and 2011
Fellow of the National Institute for the Teaching of Ethics and
Professionalism. She is the author of Trust Accounting for South Carolina
Lawyers: An Annotated Practice Manual , published by the SC Bar. She has
also taught a variety of Paralegal Studies courses for the past twenty-five
years.
Clawson & Staubes, LLC
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Chelsea Rikard
A Business Law Firm t
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Donald Coggins
Entered 5/11/15 by rsg (from CLE folder 15-79)
Donald C. Coggins
A native of Spartanburg and graduate of Clemson University, where he received a B.A. in economics in 1981, Mr. Coggins got his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1984. After a number of years in practice, he was one of the founding members of the firm known as Harrison, White, Smith & Coggins in 2000.
In 2017, Mr. Coggins was appointed by the president of the United States to be a federal district judge for the District of South Carolina. Judge Coggins maintains chambers and sits at the federal courthouse in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
U.S. District Court, District of SC
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Donnie Willingham
Spartanburg County
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Grace Knie
S.C. Circuit Court
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Henry Floyd
Entered 8/31/15 by rsg (from CLE folder 15-36)
Henry F. Floyd
Henry Floyd received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Wofford College, Spartanburg, South Carolina in 1970. In May of 1973, he received a J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law. From 1972 until 1978 he served as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. Following graduation from law school, Judge Floyd practiced law in Pickens, South Carolina, for eighteen years. As an attorney, he served on the predecessor to the Commission on Lawyer Conduct. In May of 1992, he was elected as a South Carolina Circuit Court Judge for the Thirteenth Judicial Court , where he served until September 2003. While on the State bench, he was a member of the Advisory Committee on Standards of Judicial Conduct and on the Commission on Judicial Conduct.
Judge Floyd was appointed by President George W. Bush as United States District Judge for the District of South Carolina on September 24, 2003. Most recently, he was appointed by President Barack Obama to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on October 5, 2011. Judge Floyd served on the Committee on Judicial Resources for the Judicial Conference of the United States from 2006 - 2012.
U.S. Court of Appeals
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J. Cole
S.C. Circuit Court
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J. Hayes
entered 5.24.11 by CCN
Hon. J. Mark Hayes, II - Circuit Court, At Large
Judge Hayes attended public schools in Spartanburg and graduated cum laude from Wofford College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History in May of 1980. While at Wofford he was Senior Class President, a member of the Blue Key Society, Phi Gamma Mu, and was President of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He was also a member State Student Legislator, and a U.S. Senate Intern for Senator Strom Thurmond. During his junior year at Wofford Judge Hayes was a member of the Judicial Commission and served as Chairman of the Judicial Commission during his senior year.
Judge Hayes received his Juris Doctor in May of 1984. He served on Moot Court Board and was selected as a member of Order of the Barrister. He was the finalist at a USC Mock Trial.
Judge Hayes began his legal career in 1984 as a clerk for the Honorable E.C. Burnett, III. In August of 1985 he entered private practice when he joined the law firm of Burts, Turner, Hammett, Harrison & Rhodes where he became a partner in 1987. In January 1991, he and his partner, Ben C. Harrison, established the Harrison & Hayes Law Firm. The firm focused on civil litigation matters and Judge Hayes developed a strong interest in public school law. In January 2000, Judge Hayes and Mr. Harrison formed a new partnership with John B. White, Jr., Danny R. Smith and Donald C. Coggins, Jr. Judge Hayes remained a partner in the Harrison, White, Smith, Hayes & Coggins, P.C. firm until his election to the bench in 2003. In addition to litigation matters, Judge Hayes was responsible for his firm's appellate practice.
He was elected Circuit Court Judge, At-Large, Seat 5 on April 9, 2003. While in private practice, he served on the South Carolina Commission on Lawyer Conduct. He was a member of the American Bar Association, South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association and the South Carolina School Board Lawyer's Association. He was also Chairman of the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium Commission and its Long Range Planning Committee, which completed a ten million ($10,000,000.00) dollar renovation of the Auditorium in 2001. In 1987, the South Carolina Department of Education recognized and honored Judge Hayes for his contribution to South Carolina public schools.
Judge Hayes is admitted to practice in all South Carolina State Courts, U.S. District Courts of South Carolina, Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.
S.C. Circuit Court
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J. Wall
S.C. Summary Court
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James Fraley
S.C. Family Court
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Joshua Queen
Entered 11.19.09 by CCN
THE HONORABLE JOSHUA L. QUEEN
Joshua Lee Queen, son of Jackie Lee Queen and Hedy Jane Skinner Queen was born September 30, 1978. Judge Queen's father, Jackie, is the Director of Attendance, Discipline and Transportation for the Cherokee County School District, and his mother, Jane, is retired from the Cherokee County School District. Judge Queen graduated from Gaffney High School in 1996. He received a Bachelor of Science in Financial Management from Clemson University in 2000, and received a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2003. Judge Queen was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in May of 2004.
Judge Queen was appointed by Governor Mark Sanford to fulfill the un-expired term of Judge W.R. Douglas. Queen was sworn in as Probate Judge by South Carolina State Senator Harvey S. Peeler, Jr. on February 12, 2004.
Judge Queen is married to the former Neeley Allison Parris of Gaffney. Queen is also a member of Draytonville Baptist Church in Gaffney. In his spare time, Judge Queen enjoys spending time with family, hunting, fishing, playing basketball and softball, and following Clemson University athletics.
S.C. Probate Court
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Kevin McDonald
Entered 9/23/16 by rsg (from CLE folder 16-63)
Honorable Kevin F. McDonald
Judge McDonald serves in Greenville as a United States Magistrate Judge for the District of South Carolina. Prior to his appointment to the bench in June 2010, he worked at the United States Attorney's Office for ten years, with the last six years as a supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney, including two terms in 2008 and 2010 when he was appointed by the Department of Justice to serve as the Acting United
States Attorney for South Carolina.
Before joining the US Attorney's Office, Judge McDonald was in private practice in Columbia for seven years, handling a variety of cases that included banking and insurance litigation, workers compensation, real estate, and federal criminal defense.
He holds a journalism degree from the University of South Carolina and a law degree from the USC School of Law.
He and his wife Valerie have three children and live in Greenville.
U.S. Magistrate Judge
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Michael Thigpen
S.C. Judicial Branch
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Ponda Caldwell
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Ralph Kelly
S.C. Circuit Court
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Shannon Phillips
Spartanburg County
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Usha Bridges
Entered 10/9/14 by rsg (from CLE folder 14-53)
Usha J. Bridges
Judge Usha J. Bridges was born in Gaffney, South Carolina on September 28, 1960. She is the daughter of Orban Jefferies, Sr. and Mary D. Jefferies. She is a graduate of Gaffney High School, and received a B.A. Degree in Political Science from the University of South Carolina and a Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law, Columbia, South Carolina.
In April 1993, Judge Bridges started practicing law with Fletcher N. Smith & Associates in Greenville, South Carolina. Upon returning to Gaffney in December 1993, she became full-time Juvenile Public Defender with the Cherokee County Public Defender's Office. In July 1996, she contracted with Cherokee County to continue her representation as the Juvenile Public Defender and then opened her private practice. In addition to her private practice and juvenile public defender contract, she has been contracted with the Governor's office since December 1993 wherein she represented the Volunteer Guardian ad Litem Program. In July 1999, she was appointed to serve as a Municipal Judge for the City of Gaffney.
She is a member of the Indian Baptist Church, Gaffney, South Carolina, where she has served as Sunday School Teacher, Bible Study Teacher and as one of the main cooks in the soup kitchen. She is married to Allie Bridges, Jr. and they have five (5) children, Meredith Bridges McKee, Allie Bridges, III, Garrett S. Bridges, Samantha J. Bridges and Garrison A. Bridges and three (3) grandchildren, Jayden M. Bridges, Alicya N. Sims and Dylan A. McKee.
She enjoys fishing, reading, cooking and supporting her children in their extra-curricular activities.
S.C. Family Court
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