Event Information

Almand James Barron received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina and was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 1998. Ms. Barron is also a member of the Richland County Bar Association, Lexington County Bar Association and the South Carolina Women's Law Association. She is a Fellow in the South Carolina Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and is Board Certified in Family Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. She has served on the Children's Committee, Professional Responsibility, Ethics Advisory, Judicial Qualifications and the Conventions Committee for the South Carolina Bar.

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.

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.

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.

Judge Jarrett graduated from Williamsburg Academy in 1985. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Wofford College in 1989. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1992.

After graduating from law school, Judge Jarrett moved back to his hometown of Kingstree, South Carolina. He is the former managing partner of Jenkinson, Jarrett and Kellahan, P.A. He spent his 28 years practicing primarily family law. He was selected by his peers as one of the Super Lawyers by Super Lawyer magazine in 2020.

Judge Jarrett has served on the Williamsburg County Bar Association, the Georgetown County Bar Association, the South Carolina Association for Justice, the Family Law Section Council of the South Carolina Bar, the Supreme Court Commission on Docketing – Family Court Committee, the South Carolina Bench-Bar Committee, and the South Carolina Bar Resolution of Fee Disputes Board. In 2018 – 2019, Judge Jarrett was the Chairperson of the Family Law Section Council of the South Carolina Bar.

Judge Jarrett is actively involved in his community. He has been President of Kingstree Rotary, served on the Williamsburg County First Steps Board, and served on the Tri-County Regional Development Board. He is an active member of Kingstree United Methodist Church.

Judge Ernest J. Jarrett was elected to fill the term of the Honorable Gordon B. Jenkinson who retired.

Gregory S. Forman is a sole practitioner in Charleston, South Carolina.  A 1984 graduate of Haverford College and a 1991 Cum Laude graduate of Temple Law School, Mr. Forman has been a member of the South Carolina Bar since 1992 and practicing family law since 1993.  His practices= emphasis is on family law at both the trial court and the appellate level.
He has handled over 40 family court appeals, resulting in nine published victories. He is a past president of the South Carolina Bar=s Trial & Appellate Advocacy Committee and has been a mentor to numerous family law attorneys. He has an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and is a "Super Lawyer" according to SuperLawyers.com.
Mr. Forman lectures frequently on Family Law to judges, lawyers, law students, and the general public.  He has had 40 articles published on family law in publications including South Carolina Lawyer, the South Carolina Trial Lawyers= Magazine, The Bulletin, the American Bar Association=s Family Advocate, and the American Journal of Family Law.  He was on the Board of Editors for the 4th and 5th Editions of Marital Litigation in South Carolina.

 

Heather Scalzo is a seasoned family court litigator providing legal representation in all aspects of family law, including divorce, child and spousal support, child custody, adoption, abuse and neglect and juvenile delinquency matters. Ms. Scalzo has extensive experience handling education matters, including school discipline and expulsion. She has been involved in child advocacy work since law school and received the Sera Ramcharitar Memorial Prize for her work on behalf of women, children and families. She graduated from Emory University with a B.A. in 1996 and from Rutgers University School of Law with a J.D. in 2002. 

Ms. Scalzo is a certified Family Court mediator. She is also a certified attorney trainer by the National Juvenile Defender Center and served as a juvenile public defender for fourteen years. She also served on the Advisory Board for the Southern Juvenile Defender Center, the S.C. Supreme Court's Family Court Docket Committee as well as the S.C.Children's Justice Act Task Force. Ms. Scalzo is a member of the Junior League of Greenville and has served two terms on its Board of Directors.

Jenny is the owner of The Stevens Law Group, LLC in Spartanburg. She was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, and is a graduate of the College of Charleston and Charleston School of Law. Prior to moving to Spartanburg, she helped form the Charleston County Custody Fast-Track Committee, which she co-chaired. She was trained and certified as a Volunteer Guardian ad Litem during her first year of law school. Following her certification, she devoted her pro bono service work for over two years to representing many children involved in abuse and neglect cases in the Charleston County Family Court. These cases, along with her own personal experience with divorce inspired her to practice family law in a way that focuses not only on the legal aspect of domestic relations, but also on the impact these events have on the individuals involved.

Jenny is a member of the Spartanburg County Bar Association, the South Carolina Bar, the American Bar Association, and the South Carolina Women Lawyer's Association. Jenny is a frequent speaker at local, state, and regional continuing legal education seminars, and thoroughly enjoys engaging with her peers to better the practice of family law in South Carolina. She is also a certified private Guardian ad Litem and finds her work representing children in private custody litigation to be some of her most rewarding work. She has been the Course Planner and Moderator of the SC Bar's Annual Guardian ad Litem Training & Update CLE for many years. 

When she isn't working, Jenny enjoys spending time at home with her husband, Ben (also a family law attorney and her law partner), and their six children, who range in age from 14 to 27, their four cats (Gaylord, Hoover, Baxter, and Felix), and her granddaughter. She and Ben enjoy traveling to attend and/or present at various family law and legal conferences, but also are learning to enjoy the quiet of their almost-empty-nest!

Lauren grew up in Southern Virginia and attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. After graduating, Lauren taught multiple grade levels in both Virginia and South Carolina. After nearly fifteen years in the classroom, Lauren attended the University of South Carolina School of Law. In law school, she served as the President of C.A.L.S, Child Advocacy Law Society, and was the manag ing editor of the Journal of Law & Education. She graduated in 2013 and was sworn in to the practice of law that November.

Lauren is a partner at Condon Edwards Family Law & Mediation. She works as both an attorney for our clients and a Guardian ad litem for families represented by other attorneys. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Lauren is especially honored to be able to assist clients throughout the State with name changes and gender confirmations. 

When not practicing law, Lauren enjoys anything related to the art of drag, live music, and travel. She is an avid fan of the Law & Order franchise, and loves a good game night with friends. 

M. J. Goodwin has practiced law in Anderson County, South Carolina for 28 years. Ms. Goodwin began her career as an Assistant Solicitor. She opened her own firm in 1994 and began doing Guardian ad Litem work in Family Court. Over the past 25 years, Ms. Goodwin has served as Guardian ad Litem in over 1500 Family Court matters. In addition to Guardian ad Litem work, Ms. Goodwin also represents litigants in a variety of Family Court situations in Anderson and Abbeville Counties. When not practicing law, Ms. Goodwin enjoys spending time with her husband of 28 years, Chris, and her son, Thomas, who is a college student. The Goodwin Family breeds and raises the critically endangered Carolina Marsh Tacky Horse, which is the official South Carolina State Heritage Horse. The Goodwin Family is the largest breeding operation of the Carolina Marsh Tacky Horse in Upstate South Carolina, having produced 18 registered foals since 2011. Ms. Goodwin also enjoys art, literature and yoga.