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Event Information
Community Associations and Persons with Disabilities
March 20, 2026
Dates
Friday, March 20, 2026Time
9:00 AM - 1:30 PMRegistration Deadline
Friday, March 20, 2026Location
SC Bar Conference Center1501 Park Street
Columbia, SC 29201-2730
- Practical
guidance on evaluating and responding to emotional support animal (ESA)
and service animal requests in compliance with federal and South Carolina
law.
- Clear
distinctions between reasonable accommodations and reasonable
modifications, and how to analyze each under the Fair Housing Act.
- Key
requirements for ensuring accessibility of common areas and community
facilities, including frequent problem areas and best practices for
associations.
- How
to properly handle privacy, confidentiality, and verification of
disability while avoiding common legal pitfalls in documentation requests.
- Insight
from Disability Rights South Carolina on disability-related rights, expectations, and advocacy
trends affecting community associations.
- Strategies
for advising boards and managers on creating consistent policies that
reduce risk, prevent disputes, and promote fair and compliant interactions
with residents with disabilities.
Who
Should Attend:
Attorneys
practicing Community Association Law in South Carolina, as well as attorneys
who wish to expand their knowledge of disability-related issues in community
associations, including those seeking a foundational or intermediate
understanding of accommodations, accessibility, Service Animals/ESAs, and
compliance obligations.
This seminar is an basic to intermediate level program.
This program qualifies for 3.50 MCLE; 1.0 LEPR
SC Supreme Commission on CLE Course # 263355
The South Carolina Bar is an accredited CLE provider in South Carolina only. Attorneys are responsible for seeking their own credit in other jurisdictions.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in CLE programs and publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the South Carolina Bar, its sections, or committees. The South Carolina Bar believes that all Bar members have the right to both meaningful learning and to the exchange of ideas in a civil environment. The Bar reserves the right to remove or exclude any person from a Bar event if that person is causing inappropriate disturbance, behaving in a manner inconsistent with accepted standards of decorum, or in any way preventing fellow Bar members from meaningful participation and learning.
| Price Description | Amount |
|---|
Agenda
Speakers
| Name | Organization | Speaking At |
|---|---|---|
| Cynthia Jones | Sellers Ayers Dortch & Lyons, P.A. | - |
| David Zoellner | - | |
| Harvey Watson | Ballard & Watson, Attorneys at Law | - |
| Rebecca Fulmer | Disability Rights South Carolina | - |
| Sean O'Connor | Clarkson McAlonis and O'Connor, P.C. | - |
| Valerie Giovanoli | McCabe, Trotter & Beverly, P.C. | - |
Policy
Need to cancel or transfer your registration? Simply notify us in writing no later than 24 hours prior to the published start time of the seminar at registrar@scbar.org. You will be eligible to receive a full refund, be transferred to the live webinar or archived on-demand version of the same seminar, if available, or to a live or archived seminar of equal or lesser value. If you need to cancel within 24 hours of the start time of a program, you are eligible to take the program in its archived, on-demand format, if available. Neither transfers to the live webinar nor refunds will be issued for cancellations made within 24 hours of a seminar start time.
Continuing Education
Agenda
8:30 a.m. Registration
8:55 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks
Sean O'Conner, Esq.
9:00 a.m. A Housing Discrimination Complaint Has Been Filed Against the Association. Now What?
Cynthia Jones, Sellers, Ayers, Dortch & Lyons, P.A.
9:30 a.m. Modifications
Sean A. O'Connor, Clarkson McAlonis and O'Connor, PC
10:00 a.m. Break
10:15 a.m. Accommodation (Other than Modifications)
Valerie Garcia Giovanoli, McGabe, Trotter & Beverly, P.C.
10:45 a.m. Navigating Assistance Animals: Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals
Rebecca Fulmer, Disability Rights South Carolina
11:25 a.m. Privacy, Confidentiality, and Verification of Disability
David Zoellner, Disability Rights South Carolina
11:45 a.m. Common Ethical Issues for Attorneys Practicing Community Association Law
Harvey Watson, Ballard & Watson, Attorneys at Law
12:45 p.m. Adjourn