Name Organization Speaking At
Alexander Cash
North Carolina native Alex B. Cash concentrates his practice on representing individual clients in the areas of family law and personal injury cases.
Cash Law Firm, LLC
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Allison Dunham
Allison Dunham has been handling family court cases for over 20 years. A former chairman of the Governor's Youth Council, Allison has developed a keen understanding of what it takes to not only be effective in family court, but to make her clients' lives tolerable as they go through the legal process. After receiving her J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1995, she practiced briefly in a small law firm before joining the Thirteenth Circuit Solicitor's Office, where she was a prosecutor. As a prosecutor, one of her goals was to rehabilitate youthful wrongdoers. She was a member of the Governor's Youth Council in an effort to bring together a variety of community resources to build a coalition that sought to break the cycle of crime. After four years, she joined the Department of Social Services as a lawyer focusing on protection of children from parents and guardians. She became the managing attorney of the agency's legal department and in 2006 she went into private practice with Killoren, Kissinger, Dantin, Denton and Dunham, P.C. Dunham describes her practice as one that encompasses almost the full range of family law: divorce, custody and custody modification, child support and child support modification, and division of assets. In addition, she handles DSS actions in Family Court.
Killoren, Kissinger, Dantin, Denton & Dunham, P.C.
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Allison Foster
Dr. Foster received her undergraduate degrees in Psychology
and English Literature from Emory University in Atlanta, GA and her Ph.D. in
Clinical-Community Psychology from the University of South Carolina in
Columbia. Dr. Foster is Chief Psychologist at the Assessment and Resource
Center (The ARC), a nationally accredited Children's Advocacy Center in
Columbia. Previously she served as the program's director for 17 years. Dr.
Foster also maintains a private practice (Forensic Family Associates) and holds
an adjunct faculty position with the USC School of Medicine, Department of
Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science. Dr. Foster evaluates allegations of
child abuse, conducts child custody and parenting evaluations, provides
court-ordered treatment in high-conflict families and case consultations for
attorneys. Dr. Foster is also trained in collaborative divorce and is a
certified family law mediator. She testifies frequently as an expert in matters
pertaining to children, abuse and parent-child relationships, trains nationally
and conducts clinical research. Among her professional affiliations, Dr. Foster
is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), South Carolina
Psychological Association and the American Professional Society on the Abuse of
Children (APSAC). She is a frequent trainer for the National District Attorneys
Association, National Child Protection Training Center and National Children's
Advocacy Center.
Dr. Foster received her
undergraduate degrees from Emory University and Ph.D. in clinical psychology
from the University of South Carolina. She has been in forensic practice since
1995. Currently, she is Chief Psychologist at the Metropolitan Children's
Advocacy Center (formerly known as the ARC) in Columbia. She also maintains a
private practice (Forensic Family Associates) and holds an adjunct faculty
position with the USC School of Medicine, Department of Neuropsychiatry and
Behavioral Science. Dr. Foster evaluates allegations of child abuse, conducts
child custody and parenting evaluations, provides court-ordered treatment in
high-conflict families and case consultations for attorneys. Dr. Foster is also
trained in collaborative divorce and is a certified family law mediator. She
testifies frequently as an expert in matters pertaining to children, abuse and
parent-child relationships. Most recently, Dr. Foster returned to school. She
is a second-year law student in Mitchell Hamline's Executive JD program.
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Ariel Townsend
Ariel W. Townsend, Esq. is in private practice with
The Townsend Law Firm, LLC in Orangeburg.
She received a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Media Communications from
Hampton University and a Juris Doctorate Degree from the North Carolina Central
University School of Law. She practices primarily in the areas of Family Law, Personal Injury, and Wills and Estates. She was the first African American President of the Orangeburg County Bar Association.
She serves as Chairman of the Fee Disputes Board for the First (1st) Judicial Circuit and currently serves on the Supreme Court Board of Arbitrator and Mediator Certification and the Commission on Alternative Dispute Resolution. She is a Certified Family Court and Civil Court Mediator, and previous Bar service includes the Judicial Qualification Committee.
She resides in Orangeburg and is a well-known DIY'er
with several (dozens) finished (unfinished) projects to display. She is Mom to four (4) children: one with 4
legs, two 88-year-olds, and one 24 year old masquerading as a 16 year old.
Townsend Law Firm
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Ashby Jones
Ashby
Jones is a graduate of Presbyterian College and the University of South
Carolina School of Law. She is the owner
of Ashby Jones and Associates, LLC in Lexington. Ashby’s focus is domestic
litigation, though she has practiced extensively in Circuit Court and is
licensed to practice in the United States District Court and the United States
Supreme Court. Ashby is one of few South
Carolina domestic practitioners admitted as a Fellow in the American Academy of
Matrimonial Lawyers, generally recognized by judges and attorneys as preeminent
family law practitioners with a high level of knowledge, skill and
integrity. Ashby is Board Certified in
the area of Family Law by the National Board of Trial Advocates and in 2022 was
inducted into the charter chapter of the South Carolina Family Law Inn of Court
as a Master. She is the Family Law
Section chair of the South Carolina Association for Justice. Ashby holds an AV Preeminent peer-review
rating from Martindale-Hubbell. She has contributed to the SCAJ journal, The
Bulletin, and the national magazine Family Lawyer. She was appointed by the Chief Justice of the
South Carolina Supreme Court as a Lawyer-Neutral Member of the Commission on
Alternative Dispute Resolution in 2022 and sits on the Advisory Board for the
Lexington District One Center for Law and Global Policy Development. She speaks
regularly at continuing legal education seminars. Ashby has been named one of
the Legal Elite of the Midlands by Columbia Business Monthly and has been a
Super Lawyers Selectee, both on numerous occasions. She has been named as one
of the Best Lawyers in America on three occasions. She is a 2022 recipient of the University of
South Carolina Compleat Lawyer Award, which recognizes alumni for their
outstanding civic and professional accomplishments, significant contributions
to the legal profession, and those who exemplify the highest standards of
professional competence, ethics and integrity.
In April of 2023, Ashby will be named one of the Top 25 Lawyers in South
Carolina by Super Lawyers.
Ashby Jones and Associates LLC
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C. Stricklin
C. Vance Stricklin, Jr., was elected to fill the unexpired term of the Honorable Dorothy Mobley Jones in February 2020 and sworn in on March 24, 2020. He is a former partner in the Moore Taylor Law Firm, P.A. and served two years as the managing partner. His practice focused primarily on family law, including domestic litigation. Prior to private practice, he was an Assistant Public Defender, primarily representing juveniles in Family Court. He has been practicing in the Family Courts for over 25 years.
A Dreher High School graduate, Judge Stricklin graduated from Winthrop College with a double major in Political Science and Philosophy/Religion, and in 1994, graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
He has served as the Past President of the Lexington County Bar, and Past Chair of the South Carolina Bar Family Law Section Counsel. He was a member of the South Carolina Bar Family Law Section Council, South Carolina Supreme Court Docket Task Force, and was the co-chair for the South Carolina Bar Family Law Section Council's Subcommittee on Alimony. Judge Stricklin also served for several years as a member of the Lexington County Public Defender Board, and was a long-time member of the South Carolina Association of Justice.
Over the years, he was named several times as one of the Midlands Legal Elite by the Columbia Business Monthly magazine and has been selected by his peers as one of the Super Lawyers by Super Lawyer magazine for multiple years. Judge Stricklin is a frequent speaker at Continuing Legal Education seminars on the topic of family law.
S.C. Judicial Branch
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Carrie Warner
Carrie Warner has been practicing law since 2004. She received her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice- Magna Cum Laude- University of South Carolina and Juris Doctor- University of South Carolina School of Law. She is a member of the South Carolina Bar, District of Columbia Bar and American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
Warner Law Firm, LLC
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Chris Paton
Chris began his legal career serving as law clerk to Circuit Judge Joseph M. McLaughlin of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and District Judge Raymond J. Dearie of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. He also worked as an associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, LLP, and Rosen Law Firm, LLC, before starting Paton Law Firm. Chris is "AV" rated by Martindale-Hubbell and is a former Chair of the Family Law Section Council of the South Carolina Bar. Chris devotes his practice primarily to family law with a focus on appeals. He lives in Charleston with his wife Laura Paton, also an attorney, and their two daughters.
Chris Paton LLC
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Ernest Jarrett
Judge Ernest J. Jarrett was born in Kingstree, South Carolina. His parents are William “Billy” Jarrett and Mattie “Beezie” Jarrett.” He is married to Josette Jarrett and they have three children, Kyle, Katie and Winston, and one granddaughter, Evie.
Super Lawyer magazine in 2020.
S.C. Judicial Branch
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Harris Williams
Judge H. Bruce Williams was born in Columbia, South Carolina on March 13, 1956. His parents are the late Edna Richardson Harris and the late H. Lanier Williams.
He attended public schools in Columbia and received a bachelor's degree in English and Government in 1978 from Wofford College. While at Wofford, Judge Williams served as President of the Student Body and the student representative to the Board of Trustees. He was selected to the Blue Key Honor Society and the Senior Order of Gnomes. In 1982, he graduated from the University Of South Carolina School Of Law.
After graduation from law school, Judge Williams was in private practice until 1995. During that time, he served as a part-time Associate Town Judge in Irmo, South Carolina for four years (1991-1995). In addition, he served two terms on the Board of the South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association for the Family Law Section.
Judge Williams was elected to the Fifth Judicial District Family Court in 1995. During his tenure as a family court judge, Judge Williams served as president of the South Carolina Conference of Family Court Judges as well as secretary-treasurer. He has presided over the Richland County Juvenile Drug Court since its inception in January 1997. In 1998 at the Governor's Conference on Youth Crime, he was awarded the Program Achievement Award for Juvenile Drug Court.
Judge Williams also served as President of the Columbia Kiwanis Club. While a member of the Kiwanis Club, he volunteered as the advisor for the Columbia High School Key Club (1983 -1995). In November 2011, the Columbia Urban League presented Judge Williams with the distinguished Ethel M. Bolden Community Service Award.
He received the Richland County Bar Association Matthew J. Perry Civility Award in November 2012. Since 2012, Judge Williams has been an adjunct professor at the USC School of Law. In addition, he has served as faculty for numerous judicial and bar sponsored continuing legal education seminars and programs
Judge Williams was elected to the South Carolina Court of Appeals in May 2004. He is a member of the South Carolina Bar and is admitted to practice in all South Carolina courts as well as the U.S. District Court for South Carolina. He and his wife reside in Columbia and have two daughters. He enjoys golfing, cooking, and experiencing great barbeque from around the country.
S.C. Court of Appeals
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Jerry Vinson
Judge Jerry D. (Jay) Vinson, Jr. was born in Camden, South Carolina on October 12, 1960, the son of Jerry D. Vinson and Patricia Ann Mahan Vinson. Judge Vinson was raised in Florence, South Carolina where he attended public schools. He graduated from Francis Marion College, cum laude, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology. He received his Juris Doctorate Degree in 1985 from the University of South Carolina School of Law and was admitted to practice law the same year.
Following law school, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable John H. Waller, Jr., Circuit Court Judge of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit. After completing his clerkship, he joined the firm of Turner, Padget, Graham and Laney, P.A. and later practiced law with his wife, Flo Lester Vinson, in The Vinson Law Firm, P.A. Judge Vinson merged his practice with the law firm of McDougall & Self, L.L.P, where he practiced until his election to the bench in 2004. He is admitted to practice before the United States District Court, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.
Judge Vinson has been active with Francis Marion University, where he has been named both Outstanding Alumnus and Outstanding Biology Alumnus. He has served as FMU Alumni President and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Francis Marion University Foundation. He has also served on the Board of Directors for the Florence Symphony Orchestra, the Master Works Choir and the Florence Kiwanis Club. Judge Vinson was also active in the South Carolina Bar serving as a member of the House of Delegates and as a member, and former chair, of the Family Law Section Council. He is a member, and past chair, of the South Carolina Bar Law Related Education Committee. He has been a frequent speaker at Family Law CLE programs.
Judge Vinson served as a member, and former Chair, of the Family Court Bench Bar Committee and served as chair of the Best Legal Practices sub-committee. Judge Vinson served on the Governor's Task Force for Children in Foster Care and Adoption Services. Judge Vinson is also a member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and served on the Council's Board of Trustees. He is past president of the South Carolina Conference of Family Court Judges and a former member of the Family Court Judges Advisory Committee.
Judge Vinson is married to Flo Lester Vinson, who serves as a Federal Administrative Law Judge.
EDUCATION
J.D., University of South Carolina, 1992
B.A., University of South Carolina, magna cum laude, 1988
BAR AND COURT ADMISSIONS
South Carolina, 1992
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, 1993
U.S. Supreme Court, 1996
S.C. Court of Appeals
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Kelly Seabrook
Law Office of Kelly A. Seabrook, LLC
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Margie Pizarro
Margie A. Pizarro, Esq., is a native of Walterboro, South Carolina. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Clemson University in 1991 and a Master of Education in Divergent Learning from Columbia College in 2002. Margie spent 12 years as an educator in the Greenville County School District before enrolling at the Charleston of Law where she received her Juris Doctorate as a member of the first graduating class in 2007.
In September 2008, Margie took a giant leap of faith and formed the Pizarro Law Firm, LLC, located in historic downtown Summerville. Margie believes that by starting her own practice, she could be more effective in helping clients deal with a wide variety of legal issues as the Pizarro Law Firm is a general litigation firm focusing on matters including Family Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, Estate Law, and Medical Malpractice. Since opening its doors, Margie has represented clients in all state and federal courts, and she has helped them successfully navigate their legal issues. Margie's practice has also taken her to California where she has supported the litigation in celebrity and high-asset family court cases. Margie is truly realizing her passion for helping clients at all levels of litigation and also in ensuring and protecting their rights.
In October 2024, Margie was appointed as a Dorchester County Magistrate Court Judge.
Margie is a member of the American Bar Association, the Charleston County Bar Association, and the Dorchester County Bar Association. She is licensed to practice in all South Carolina State and Federal Courts, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and before the Suprem e Court of the United States. She has numerous board memberships and accolades including:
Former Member, Board of Trustees, Columbia College (SC)
Former Member, Executive Committee, Charleston County Bar Association
Current Member, James L. Petigru Inn of Court
Former Member, Board of Directors, Dorchester County Habitat for Humanity
Former Member, Board of Directors, South Carolina Women Lawye rs Association (SCWLA)
Former Member, Board of Visitors, Columbia College (SC)
Former Planning Commissioner, Town of Summerville
Former Member, Board of Directors, Summerville Family YMCA
Former Member, Board of Directors, YESCarolina, youth entrepreneurship program
Former Member, Board of Director Children's Museum of the Lowcountry
Former Host, Lowcountry Spotlight, original local television show on WCLN-HD
Charleston Regional Business Journal, 40 Under 40 Winner 2007
Summerville Journal Scene, Women to Watch, Winner 2013
Recipient, Councilman Aaron Brown Award 2019
Margie is married to Laurentiis M. Gaines, S r. Their blended family of two daughters, five sons, and one granddaughter keeps them quite busy.
Dorchester County
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Mary Quindlen
Mary Fran Quindlen holds two bachelor's degrees in History and English from Rutgers University. She received her law degree from the University of South Carolina in 1998, where she was a member of Women in Law and the Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity. Following her admission to the South Carolina Bar, Mary Fran practiced as a Marine Corps Judge Advocate serving as a Legal Assistance Attorney and Defense Counsel. She continued to serve in the United States Marine Corps Reserve until May of 2006 when she resigned her commission as a Major. After her release from active duty in 2002, Mary Fran became an Associate at Harvey & Battey, P.A. in Beaufort, South Carolina. She worked as their family law practitioner until 2005 when she opened her own practice in Beaufort. Mary Fran's practice is concentrated in the areas of Military and Family Law, to include custody, visitation and divorce. Mary Fran is a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the International Academy of Family Lawyers, is a Member of the South Carolina Family Law Council, and serves on the South Carolina Bar's Fee Dispute Resolution Board. Mary Fran has been qualified as an expert in South Carolina Family Courts regarding military matters related to divorce and she teaches military family law CLE's around the country
Quindlen Law Firm, P.A.
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Melissa Buckhannon
Judge Melissa J. Buckhannon is a Family
Court Judge of South Carolina for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit having been
elected to the bench by the South Carolina General Assembly in February
2014.
Judge Buckhannon received her Bachelor
of Science degree from Francis Marion University in 1991. She received her
Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in
1994. Upon graduation from the law
school, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable James E. Lockemy. Thereafter, she moved to Horry County to
practice law. She practiced in Horry County
from 1995 until her election to the Family Court Bench.
Judge Buckhannon served on the Board of
Trustees for Francis Marion University from 1998 until 2013. She received the Francis Marion University
Alumni Association Professional Industry Achievement Award in 2017 for Public
Service and Law. She received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Francis Marion
University in December 2017.
Judge Buckhannon is a member of the
Chief Justice’s Commission on the Profession, and serves on the Family Court
Judges Advisory Committee. She is a founding member and President of the South
Carolina Family Law American Inn of Court.
Judge Buckhannon serves as the Chair for the Family Court New Judge’s
Training Team. Judge Buckhannon also
serves as a mentor to the Coastal Region’s Attorney General’s Sex Trafficking
Task Force.
Judge Buckhannon is a member of the
Horry County Bar Association as well as the South Carolina Bar
Association. She was a member of the
South Carolina Bar Association’s Family Law Council from 2003 until her
election to the bench, serving as Chair of the Council in 2010. She has served as a member of the South
Carolina Attorney Fee Dispute Board as well as the South Carolina Council for
Conflict Resolution. She served as a
member of the Horry County Family Court Executive Committee and well as the
Chair for the annual Horry County Family Court Seminar.
S.C. Family Court
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Melissa Frazier
Melissa Frazier is a sole practitioner in North Myrtle Beach. She has been practicing family law in Horry County for twenty-three years. She represents clients in divorce, custody and adoption cases. She is also a certified family court mediator and court appointed Guardian ad litem in custody and adoption cases. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and the University of South Carolina School of Law. She was admitted to practice law in South Carolina in 1996 and in North Carolina in 1998. She is a member of the SC Bar Family Law Section Council and previously served as chair. She is actively involved with the Horry County Family Court Executive Committee and she is the current treasurer of the Coastal Inn of Court. She previously held various offices with the Horry County Bar Association, including president. She has also served as an attorney coach for the South Carolina Bar Middle School Mock Trial Competitions for over eight years.
S.C. Family Court
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Melissa Brown
Melissa F. Brown, the principal and
founding attorney of Melissa F. Brown LLC, has practiced law for over 20
years. Since she entered private practice, she has worked exclusively in the area of divorce and family law, helping individuals start new lives and crafting fair and reasonable solutions in divorce, child custody, alimony, visitation, equitable division of assets, child support and other family law cases.
Melissa graduated from the University of
Virginia in 1987 and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of South
Carolina School of Law in 1991.
Following law school, she clerked for the Honorable William L. Howard. Then, she served as an Assistant Solicitor for the Ninth Judicial Circuit.
In 1993, Melissa began practicing family law as an associate for Lee M. Robinson, PA, whose firm later merged with Nexsen, Pruet, Jacobs, Pollard and Robinson. Six years later, after working with Lee M. Robinson, Melissa started her current practice.
Since starting her firm, Melissa has
successfully handled many divorce, custody and other family law related cases.
She is renowned for her ability to handle complicated, highly-charged cases
that other lawyers avoid. A meticulous
researcher, both judges and opposing counsel know that Melissa and her team are
prepared to back up their clients’ allegations with unadorned, hard facts. The firm’s reputation for meticulous work helps settle cases and saves clients money.
Melissa’s experience as a divorce and
family lawyer is widely recognized by her peers. She has received the “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell; given a 10.0 rating on AVVO; and chosen as one of the top female lawyers in the country by Martindale-Hubbell’s Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers.
Attorney Melissa F. BrownRecently,
Melissa was selected as one of South Carolina’s SuperLawyers in the family law
area. An active member of both the South
Carolina and national legal communities, Melissa has held many prestigious
leadership positions. She is the former
Chair of the South Carolina Family Law Council. During her time as Chair, the
Council published the first edition of the South Carolina Family Lawyers’ Tool
Kit. (Melissa has since contributed to the 2nd edition and is currently editing the 3rd edition.) She has also served on multiple committees for the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), including serving as the first Chair of the AAML’s Technology Committee. Melissa is a Fellow in the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (IAML), and she serves on the IAML’s webinar committee.
Melissa has published numerous
family-law related articles in national and state journals such as the American
Journal of Family Law, University of South Carolina Law Review, the State Bar
of Georgia Family Law Review, The South Carolina Lawyer, and the ABA Family
E-Newsletter. She is currently writing a chapter for an upcoming ABA booklet for clients titled, “Getting Your Financial Accounts in Digital Order.”
Melissa’s most notable teaching and presentation experiences include serving as a Faculty Member at the Houston Family Law Trial Institute held at the South Texas College of Law (2010, 2011, & 2012), an intensive nine-day trial program for practicing attorneys; presenting CLE’s to nationwide audiences for the ABA, Atticus Legal Consulting Group and the National Constitutional Center.
She has also presented to the Canadian
Family Law section and provided phone-casts and webcasts across the county.
Most recently, she taught at the South Carolina Bar’s 2013 Solo and Small Firm Conference
and Tech Expo, the South Carolina Bar’s 2013 Hot Tips from the Coolest Domestic
Law Practitioners, and the New Mexico Bar’s 2013 Family Law Institute. She has given numerous family law
presentations to attorneys and judges and has co-hosted the highly popular
annual Hot Tips for Family Law Attorneys.
Melissa is an active member of her community, particularly St. Michael’s
Church.
Melissa F. Brown, LLC
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Mindy Zimmerman
Mindy W. Zimmerman graduated
from Chesnee High School in 1998 and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree, with a
major in English, from Wofford College in 2001.
While at Wofford, she was a member of Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society
and the Pre-Law Fraternity. She received,
in 2005, her Master of Business Administration from Gardner-Webb University and
in 2006, her Juris Doctor from the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, located
at Campbell University.
Judge Zimmerman began her
legal career with the Eighth Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office, where she
handled a wide array of criminal prosecution in both General Sessions and
Family Court. In 2009, she opened the
Law Firm of Zimmerman and Shealy, LLC, in the office previously occupied by The
Honorable Eugene C. Griffith, prior to his election to the Circuit Bench. During her time in private practice, she
focused on Family Court. At various
points in her career, Judge Zimmerman represented the Department of Social
Services, the Guardian ad Litem Program and defendants in DSS actions. She represented parties to private litigation
and juveniles charged with criminal offenses.
She was a certified Guardian ad Litem and a certified Family Court
Mediator.
While in Spartanburg, Judge
Zimmerman served as a Board Member for the Spartanburg Downtown Association,
from which she received the Jill Plemmons Downtown Pride Award. After moving to Newberry, South Carolina,
Judge Zimmerman joined the Newberry Jaycees, and was recognized by receipt of
the Outstanding First Timer Award and Outstanding Young Business Leader
Award. She served as a member of the
Board of the Newberry Business Alliance and as the Fund Raising Coordinator for
the Newberry County 100th Anniversary Girl Scout Celebration Committee. She has also been a member of the Chambers of
Commerce in both Spartanburg and Newberry Counties.
S.C. Family Court
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Monet Pincus
Judge Monét S. Pincus was born in Berkeley, California. Her father is H. Daniel Pincus, a retired home builder, and her mother is Joyce F. Pincus, who is a veterinary hospital administrator. She has two younger siblings, Marc and Kevin Pincus.
Judge Pincus received her bachelor's degree in English from Seton Hall University. She received her juris doctorate degree from Mississippi College School of Law. While in law school, she was Casenote Editor for Law Review, winner of the Moot Court Competition and was on the Moot Court Board.
After law school, she moved to South Carolina and worked as an associate attorney for Berry, Quackenbush and Stuart in the civil litigation department until she formed her own firm in 1997, Pincus Family Law, where she continued to practice exclusively in the Family Courts of South Carolina.
Judge Pincus was a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. She moderated and spoke regularly at numerous continuing legal education seminars on topics involving Family Law and Solo and Small Firm practice. She also served on the Solo & Small Firm Section Council.
Judge Pincus graduated from the Houston Family Law Trial Institute.
Judge Pincus was an adjunct professor at USC School of Law for four years where she taught Legal Writing to first year law students. She also taught courses in family law at local universities for paralegal study programs.
Judge Pincus was very active in the pro-bono community serving on several committees of the Lawyer Related Education section; Ask-A-Lawyer, Law School for Non-Lawyers where she taught family law, U-Need to Know Radio program sponsored by the Bar speaking on family law topics and a she was a member of the Speaker's Bureau.
S.C. Family Court
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Reid Sherard
Reid Sherard leads Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s Family Law practice group. He concentrates his time in complex divorce-related litigation, particularly involving significant assets, income, valuation, or other challenging financial issues as well as contested custody matters, interstate and international jurisdiction disputes, and premarital and postnuptial agreements. He enjoys helping individuals find solutions to difficult personal problems, whether through negotiated settlement or in trial. Reid is sensitive to the private nature of the matters he handles and recognizes the importance of each case.
Reid is based in Greenville, his hometown, but practices across
the state. He is frequently requested to speak on family law issues at
statewide seminars.
Reid is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® and South Carolina
Super Lawyers (top 25 in the state for 2017, 2018, and 2020, and 2021,
regardless of practice area), and enjoys the AV Preeminent® Rating by
Martindale-Hubbell. Reid’s peers have
recognized him as the top attorney vote getter for Greenville Business Magazine
Legal Elite for six consecutive years.
Reid is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and is
a certified family court mediator. Reid
received both the Distinguished Honors Alumni Award from the USC Honors College
and the USC School of Law’s Compleat Lawyer Award (Silver).
Reid also maintains a litigation and appellate practice. He has tried cases in the family court, federal district and magistrate court, and various state and local courts. He has argued ten appeals, including in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the South Carolina Supreme Court, and the South Carolina Court of Appeals.
Before joining Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, Reid practiced for 15
years at an AmLaw 100 firm. He is a
graduate of the nationally recognized Family Law Trial Institute in Houston,
Texas. Reid commenced his career as a law clerk to the late Hon. G. Ross
Anderson, Jr., U.S. District Judge for the District of South Carolina.
Reid currently serves as President-Elect of the Greenville County
Bar Association, as the Chair of the 2022 American Heart Association Upstate
Heart Walk, and Member of both the SC Bar Family Law Section Council and House
of Delegates. He previously served as
President of the Board of Directors of A Child’s Haven.
Education:
University of South Carolina School of Law, JD (2004)
University of Aberdeen, Scotland, MLitt, with distinction (2001)
University of South Carolina, Honors College, BA, magna cum laude
(2000)
Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, PA
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Richard Livingston
Richard Livingston is a Partner with the Forensics practice of Forvis and serves his clients from the firm’s Charleston, South Carolina office.
As a licensed CPA (SC and NC), Richard is also certified in Financial
Forensics, Fraud Examination and Valuation Analysis. He serves clients in the areas of forensic
accounting, family court matters, commercial damages, and fraud & corporate
investigations.
Richard has worked on matters throughout the
United States in a variety of industries. He has provided deposition and trial
testimony as an expert in both federal and state venues and has testified in
both criminal and civil matters. He has
been qualified as an expert and has testified numerous times in the South
Carolina Family Court. Richard’s
professional affiliations include the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants, South Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants, North
Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants, Association of Certified
Fraud Examiners, National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts. Richard holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from The Citadel.
LEVEL Financial Group
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Ronald Hall
R. Jason Hall is a Brookland Cayce Highschool
graduate, he earned his undergraduate degree from the University of South
Carolina, in 1995, and he earned his Juris Doctorate degree from Florida
Coastal School of Law, in 2005. Mr. Hall has been an attorney with McDougall,
Self, Currence & McLeod, LLP since November 4, 2019. Prior to that Mr. Hall
was an attorney and partner with The Hall Law Firm, LLC (f/k/a Hall & Hall
Attorneys at Law) from August 2005 to November 2019. Since being admitted to the South Carolina
Bar in 2005, Mr. Hall focused his practice primarily in family court and
domestic litigation. Mr. Hall is also experienced in representing clients in
Criminal Defense matters and representing creditors in the Court of Common
Pleas and United States Bankruptcy Courts. Mr. Hall is a member of the
Lexington County and Richland County Bar Associations, he served as President
of the Lexington County Bar Association in 2010 and he is currently a member of
the Lexington County Bar Association Advisory Council. Mr. Hall is licensed in
the United States District Court and the United States Bankruptcy Court; and he
practices in family courts throughout South Carolina. Mr. Hall is also a member
of the Florida Bar.
McDougall, Self, Currence & McLeod, LLP
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Sheila Robinson
Sheila McNair Robinson is a partner at the Moore Taylor Law Firm, P.A. She practices family law, including domestic litigation, mediation, and arbitration. She has been practicing in the Family Courts for 27 years. Over the years, Mrs. Robinson was named several times as one of the “Midlands Legal Elite” by the Columbia Business Monthly magazine.
Mrs. Robinson holds degrees from Furman University and the University of South Carolina School of Law and is licensed to practice in all state and federal courts in South Carolina.
She is a past president of the Lexington County Bar as well as a member of the Family Section of the South Carolina Bar, the South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association, and the American Bar Association. Mrs. Robinson also has been an adjunct instructor in paralegal studies.
MOORE TAYLOR LAW FIRM, P.A.
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Timothy Madden
Judge Madden joined
the Family Court bench in 2020 after more than three decades of private
practice. He holds an at-large seat,
and serves the state from his home in Greenville.
As a litigator, he
spent most of his professional time in Family Court. His practice included more than 25 appeals to
the South Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. He was a Fellow in
the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers where he served in leadership
positions. Colleagues in the bar honored Judge Madden for several years
by voting for his inclusion in Best Lawyers in America, Super
Lawyers, and other publications. He also served multiple
terms in the House of Delegates of the South Carolina Bar.
Judge Madden is an
active faculty member of the National Family Law Trial Institute in Houston,
Texas, where lawyers from across the country spend a week of intensive training
focused on courtroom advocacy. He authored the chapter titled
“Marital Dissolution and Child Custody” of the South Carolina Practice
Manual, and served on the editorial board for the treatise Marital
Litigation.
Before being elected
to the bench, Judge Madden’s public service included the South Carolina
Education Lottery Commission which he chaired for several years, the South
Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank board, and the Greenville County
Transportation Committee. His involvement with non-profit
organizations includes board service on the South Carolina Student Loan
Corporation, Welvista, and the Upcountry History Museum.
Judge Madden is a
member of the Board of Trustees of Wofford College, his alma mater. He is one of the organizers and a member of
the South Carolina Family Law Inn of Court.
Judge Madden received the Charles H. Gray, Jr.
Distinguished Service Award from Wofford College, and the Compleat Lawyer Award
from the University of South Carolina Law School Alumni. He is a Liberty
Fellow (2007).
S.C. Family Court
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Vicki Snelgrove
Judge Vicki Johnson Snelgrove assumed her duties as Family Court Judge for the Second Judicial Circuit in July of 2010. She is a native South Carolinian who was born in Aiken to B. Henderson Johnson, Jr., and Doris Johnson. She grew up in Aiken, graduated from Aiken High School and received her Bachelors degree in Humanities (English) from the University of South Carolina in 1979. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1982. While at the USC School of Law, she participated on the Moot Court Team and received an award at the national level.
Upon graduation from law school, Judge Snelgrove entered private practice in Aiken with her father (B. Henderson Johnson, Jr.), her brother Barry, Ronald A. Maxwell and James E. Whittle, Jr. She remained with that firm until her election to this seat in 2010.
During her 27 years of private practice, she was very active with the South Carolina Bar serving on Family Law Section Council and as its Chair 2007 - 2008, has sat as a member of the South Carolina Bar House of Delegates, served on the South Carolina Bar Board of Governors, served as a member of the Family Law Task Force for the South Carolina Bar and has spoken at numerous CLE's.
Judge Snelgrove was a member of the South Carolina Association of Justice, Family Law Section Council and served as its Chair in the late 1990's. She was included in The Best Lawyers in America for 2006 - 2010. She assisted in writing the Family Law Tool Kit (2003 and 2010 editions). While serving on the Family Law Section Council, Judge Snelgrove assisted in developing the current Financial Declaration.
As a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, she served as Vice-Chair of the congregation, participated in a mission trip to Haiti and currently serves on the Social Concerns Committee.
Judge Snelgrove is married to Von Pope Snelgrove of Lexington County. They have two daughters; Beverly and Leigh.
S.C. Family Court
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