The fine print* winter 2018

SCHOOL OF LAW / UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA / WINTER 2018

the fine print*

AT LONG LAST Our new home is open

plus OUR 150TH ANNIVERSARY BEYOND THE BORDER

Contents pg. 10

WINTER 2018 School of Law Dean / Robert M. Wilcox Director of Communications / Rob Schaller Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations / Sarah N. Hughes Law Communications Office 1525 Senate Street Columbia, SC 29208 Phone: 803-777-5611 Email: rschaller@sc.edu Editor in chief: Rob Schaller Contributing writers: Mackenzie Grant, Rob Schaller, Haley Sprankle the fine print* is the alumni magazine for the University of South Carolina School of Law. Stay connected: University Home Page: sc.edu School of Law Home Page: law.sc.edu School of Law Alumni and Development: law.sc.edu/alumni Facebook: facebook.com/UofSCLaw Twitter: twitter.com/UofSCLaw LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/UofSCLaw Instagram: instagram.com/UofSCLaw Flickr: flickr.com/UofSCLaw University Magazine Group / University Creative Services Editor / Chris Horn Magazine Designer / Brandi Lariscy Avant Proofing Editor / Thom Harman Photographers / Jason Ayer, Rob Schaller, Rick Smoak, Kim Truett *Because every good lawyer should read the fine print.

The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, genetics, age, disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status. The University of South Carolina has designated as the ADA Title II, Section 504 and Title IX coordinator the Executive Assistant to the President for Equal Opportunity Programs. The Office of the Executive Assistant to the President for Equal Opportunity Programs is located at 1600 Hampton Street, Suite 805, Columbia, SC; telephone 803-777-3854. 17-10377 1/18

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In this issue 4/

Our 150th anniversary A brief history of the School of Law

8 / Faculty news 10 / ON THE COVER At long last Distinguished speakers and a large crowd dedicate the law school’s long-awaited new building

12 / Beyond the border USC law students venture abroad to gain legal experiences in distant countries

14 /

A family (legal) affair New law professor Clint Wallace’s family connection to the law school stretches back over a century

16 / Clinical approach Two new law clinics expand hands-on learning opportunities

18 / Alumni news

“

F

ounded in 1867, the University of South Carolina School of Law is one of the nation’s oldest law schools.”

This was the first sentence emblazoned on many materials the law school published back when I was a student from 1978-1981, and it was still in use when

I became a professor in 1986. As dean, I vowed to change that, to banish these words from being our introduction to the public. Yes, it showed that we had a rich heritage, and cer-

tainly there is something to be said for such a solid legacy. But it didn’t reflect our school today.

It didn’t convey the innovation that has been a hallmark of our academic programs; or

ROBERT M. WILCOX, DEAN Committed to Excellence

the excellence of our faculty whose scholarship and teaching is breaking new ground and exploring solutions to some of our most complex problems; or the power of our alumni and students to effect change both in our state and on the other side of the world. In short, it didn’t fully tell our story.

In this issue, we wanted to tell more of that story, not only by reflecting on our past, but also celebrating our future.

And what a future it is. As you know, we turned 150 this year, and we began the next 150 by moving into our magnificent new home. We were honored to have Justice Samuel A. Alito of the United States Supreme Court deliver the address during the dedication ceremony, and delighted to have more than 500 attend our 150th celebration that same evening.

As we put together our sesquicentennial story, it was certainly amazing to see how far we’ve come, and even more so to realize how often this law school has been a national leader in legal education.

That tradition continues today with an emphasis on experiential learning for our students, including new domestic violence and medicolegal partnership clinics. We’re proud to expand our clinical offerings, especially in two such vital areas of importance— areas that exemplify our mission of serving the needs of this state, and improving the lives of its citizens.

Our focus on service is truly a part of the culture of today’s law school. More importantly, however, it stays with our students even after they have graduated. We highlight in this issue stories of students and alumni who have traveled abroad to improve the lives of others, from helping refugees in Australia to assisting with indigenous land right issues in Cambodia.

And finally, you’ll meet our newest faculty members, including Clint Wallace, who has ties to this school that go back over a century. We were fortunate to interview him with his grandmother, Sarah McCrory ’44, before she passed away in October.

This year, more than any other, I have been reminded how special our school is. And I know that we wouldn’t be where we are today without you, our alumni. Thank you. We’re glad you are part of our story.

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Our 150th anniversary A brief history, drawing from materials compiled over the years by Ophelia Strickland, Dean Harry Lightsey Jr., Pamela Rogers Melton, and Dr. Michael Mounter

The entrance to the second Petigru College, named after James L. Petigru, a giant in South Carolina’s legal history.

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FOUNDED IN 1867, THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF LAW IS ONE OF THE NATION’S OLDEST LAW SCHOOLS. TO CELEBRATE OUR LEGACY, WE LOOK BACK AT THE LAST 150 YEARS TO SEE HOW FAR WE'VE COME, BUT ALSO WITH AN EYE TOWARDS THE FUTURE.

THE FORMATION OF THE LAW SCHOOL

South Carolina College was chartered in 1801 and opened in 1805 as the state’s first venture into public higher education.

At that time, some American universities had begun profes­ sor­ships of law, but law schools did not yet exist as separate departments. Harvard formed a law school in 1817, but the apprentice system continued to be the principal method of educating attorneys.

A professorship of law was first authorized in 1820 at Carolina but was not implemented until 1867. By this time, there were only 30 law schools in the United States. Alexander Cheves Haskell, Carolina’s first professor of law, held his first class on October 7, 1867, in what is now the South Caroliniana Library. The class of two students graduated in June 1868.

Hask­ell resigned in November to become a judge, and the law program remained closed for the remainder of that academic year.

THE EARLY YEARS

From 1873 to 1877, South Carolina College was the only southern state university to admit and grant degrees to African-American students. Eleven African Americans are known to have graduated with law degrees between 1874 and 1877. The first was Walter Raleigh Jones. Another, Richard T. Greener, was also the first African-American faculty member at the university.

In 1877, Carolina closed, reopening in 1880 as a segregated school. It would remain so until 1964.

The School of Law’s future steadied in 1884 with the appointment of Col. Joseph Daniel Pope to the professorship of law. Pope had read law under James L. Petigru and from 1884 to 1900, he taught the entire law curriculum. Under his influence, the School of Law was recognized in 1891 as a separate department and was moved from the library to the first floor of Legare College.

During this period, admission standards for the law school were almost identical to those for incoming freshmen, the only difference being the age requirement. Law school applicants had to be at least 19, while college freshmen could enroll as young as 15.

THE LAW SCHOOL IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY

The early 20th century saw a series of “firsts” that would have a tremendous impact on the School of Law, including breaking new ground for its first building, educational programs and both the size and composition of its student body.

In 1900, Pope was named the first dean of the School of Law, and by 1906, the law faculty had grown to three. Enrollment increased from 32 students in 1907 to 75 students in 1917. It was during this time that the course of study was expanded to two years, and the case method of teaching was adopted. A century later, it continues to be the most prevalent style of legal classroom education.

Claudia James Sullivan became the first female graduate of the School of Law in 1918, but despite her groundbreaking achievement, women remained very much the exception for nearly another half century.

In 1919, Petigru College (now Currell College) became the first separate law school, built at a cost of $40,000. In 1923, the School of Law required all applicants to have completed at least one year of college. In 1924, the School of Law, its faculty now numbering six, was accepted as a member of the Association of American Law Schools and in 1925 was accredited by the American Bar Association. That same year, the admission requirement was raised to completion of two years of college, and the curriculum was expanded to a full three-year course.

Two prestigious student organizations, which continue today, had their origins in the School of Law in the 1930s. In 1935, two students created the Order of the Wig and Robe, initially

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THE LAW SCHOOL IN THE LATE 20TH CENTURY

A portrait of Richard T. Greener, the first African-American faculty member at the university; by Larry Lebby, 1984

honoring seven seniors and five juniors who had attained the highest academic averages. Today, the Order continues to recognize the top second-year and third-year law students.

In 1937, the Year Book of the Selden Society began publication as the voice of an organization formed in 1933 to promote interest in “legal history and the scholarly aspects of the legal profession among law students.” Over time, it evolved into a more traditional academic journal, becoming the South Carolina Law Quarterly in 1948 and the South Carolina Law Review in 1962.

In 1938, the School of Law ushered in the birth of experiential learning, creating the nation’s first practice court program under Judge Marcellus Whaley, a professor at the school from 1937 to 1950.

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Some living alumni might remember a time when law school classes were all white and almost all male. Seeds of change were planted in the 1940s and blossomed into permanent changes two decades later.

In 1940, Sarah Leverette entered the law school as one of only three female students. She was the only one to graduate and went on to become the school’s first female faculty member.

In 1946, an African American named John H. Wrighten applied for, and was denied, admission to the School of Law. He sued the university, and in Wrighten v. Board of Trustees of University of South Carolina, the U.S. District Court ordered that the state either admit African Americans to the University of South Carolina School of Law or to another school with equal facilities or not operate a law school at all. Subsequently, a law school was opened for non-white students at South Carolina State College. It was closed in 1966, just three years after Caro­ lina re-integrated following nearly 100 years of segregation.

In June 1967, Jasper Cureton, later a judge on the S.C. Court of Appeals, became the first African-American graduate of the School of Law since Reconstruction. In 2004, Burnele V. Powell became the first African American to serve as dean of the School of Law; in 2017, Chelsea Evans was named the first AfricanAmerican editor-in-chief of the South Carolina Law Review; and 20 percent of the entering class in fall 2017 were minority students.

At a cost of $250,000, the second Petigru College opened in 1950 and featured such modern amenities as a practice court, cubicles in which students could type without disturbing others, and a library large enough to hold its 40,000 volumes. In 1953, air conditioning was added.

However, the student population boomed in the decades that followed, growing from 173 students in 1960 to 496 in 1970, forcing the School of Law to once again seek a new home. The Law Center at 701 Main Street was dedicated in 1974, with Lewis F. Powell Jr., associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and Vice President Gerald R. Ford as featured speakers.

Unfortunately, the $5.9 million building didn’t anticipate the sweeping changes that would soon be coming, and many amenities were noticeably absent, including technological capacity and women’s bathrooms. The computer revolution was still some ways off, but it was during the 1970s that women finally began to constitute a significant percentage

of the law student population, growing from only a handful in the Class of 1970 to nearly 50 women in the Class of 1980. The entering class in fall 2017 was 46 percent female.

The School of Law was in the vanguard of perhaps the biggest change in legal education in a generation, creating one of the nation’s first clinical programs. But it was another area that had not been anticipated, leaving less than adequate space over the next 40 years for a program that operates much like a law firm. Now, during a time when experiential learning is receiving new emphasis nationally, the School of Law clinics enjoy a far more appropriate space with more than 4,600 square feet of offices, work areas and interview rooms.

During the 1980s, the School of Law began one of its most cherished traditions, the outdoor graduation on the Horseshoe.

It was also awarded a chapter in the Order of the Coif.

In 1989, the School of Law developed the nation’s first voluntary law school Pro Bono Program, which was later selected as one of President George H.W. Bush’s thousand points of light. With more than 20 volunteer opportunities, it continues today under the guidance of its first director, Pamela D. Robinson. And in 1995, the Children’s Law Center was created to promote policies in the best interests of children, and provide continuous child protection advocacy training for the state’s legal community.

TODAY’S SCHOOL OF LAW

Today, the School of Law continues to provide excellent legal training to its students through myriad opportunities found nowhere else, such as the London Maymester program created in 2004 and the Konduros Leadership Program developed in 2015.

With more than 50 full-time faculty, students can choose from more than 100 upper-level courses, 12 dual-degree programs, and a variety of experiential learning opportunities, including clinics, externships and capstone courses.

New faculty have been strategically hired to strengthen specialty law areas including health law, law and technology, small business practice, environmental law and children’s law.

Our alumni are more than 10,000 strong and can be found all across the globe. They are our greatest resource to provide for the future of this school now and in the years to come. We celebrate all of this along with our new building, which opened this summer.

While it is the fourth university building constructed specifi­cally for the school, it is the first School of Law continued on page 19

(top) The law library in the second Petigru building; (bottom) The Coleman Karesh Reading Room at the new law school building

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faculty news Marie Boyd’s article

Ann Eisenberg was

“Cricket Soup: A

invited to write

Colin Miller’s “Undisclosed” pod-

Critical Examination

an article about

cast and Eviden-

of the Regulation of

rural blight for the

ceProf blog were

Insects as Food in

forthcoming sum-

both selected by

the United States”

mer 2018 issue of

editors of the ABA

will be published by the Yale Law &

the Harvard Law and Policy Review.

Journal to appear on their annual

Policy Review, and was presented at

In her article, Eisenberg explores

“Web 100” list of the 100 best digital

the 2017 Association for the Study of

potential policy options for address-

Law, Culture and Humanities confer-

ing the ubiquitous but overlooked

ence at Stanford Law School.

W. Lewis Burke’s

media for a legal audience.

problem of abandoned and dilapi-

Joseph Seiner’s new

dated properties in rural American

book, The Supreme

communities.

Court’s New Work-

new book, All for

place, published by

Civil Rights, is the

Josh Gupta-Kagan

Cambridge Univer-

first book-length

received an ASPIRE

sity Press, examines

study devoted to

grant from the

how the U.S. Supreme Court has

the struggles and

University of South

systematically eroded the rights

achievements of the 168 African-

Carolina to support

of minority workers through subtle

American lawyers who were admit-

multi-disciplinary

changes in procedural law, making

ted to the South Carolina Bar from

research on the impact of different

it increasingly difficult for workers

Reconstruction until the modern

juvenile court intake structures on

to bring workplace claims to court.

civil rights era. Examining court pro-

intake decisions. The research is an

Seiner also provides a roadmap for

cesses, trials and life stories of these

outgrowth of a forthcoming article

maneuvering through the obstacles and toward successful litigation.

lawyers, Burke argues that from the

in the University of Chicago Law

earliest days after the Civil War to

Review, which states that there is

the heyday of the civil rights move-

no consensus about how family court

ment in the 1960s, the story of the

prosecutors make charging deci-

black lawyer in South Carolina is the

sions, leading to disparities in how

story of the civil rights lawyer in the

cases are adjudicated. The article

Deep South.

argues for systemic changes that could greatly benefit outcomes for juveniles.

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NEW FACULTY FOR 2017-2018 JESSE CROSS Assistant Professor

DANIEL BRACKMANN Reference Librarian

Cross drafted revisions to the Affordable

Brackmann joins a team of 12 faculty

Care Act — as well as the proposal for

members devoted to South Caro-

its replacement — in his previous role

lina Law’s intensive Legal Research,

as assistant counsel in the Office of the

Analysis and Writing program, which

Legislative Counsel to the U.S. House

inculcates these critical skills in first-

of Representatives. As a South Carolina

year students. He received his J.D.

Law professor, he will share his knowledge and first-hand

from the University of Cincinnati and his M.S.L.I.S. from

accounts of his experiences to students taking his Legis­

the University of Illinois. His previous appointment was as

lation, Health Law, and Conflict of Laws courses.

the electronic resources librarian at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University.

LISA MARTIN Assistant Professor As the newest clinical professor, Martin will spearhead the Domestic Violence

NEW LAW LIBRARIANS

more than 10 years of law school clinical

MEGAN BROWN Acquisitions and Electronic Resources Librarian

experience as the former co-director

Before taking on her current role,

Clinic at South Carolina Law. She brings

of the Families and the Law Clinic and director of the experiential curriculum at the Catholic Uni-

Brown was the access services assistant at the Law Library.

versity of America, Columbus School of Law. Martin will also teach a related seminar course and Interviewing, Counseling and Negotiation.

AMANDA BULLINGTON Catalog and Serials Librarian Bullington previously worked at

CLINT WALLACE Assistant Professor Wallace, who teaches Income Tax and Corporate Tax, joins South Carolina Law from the New York University School of Law, where he was an acting assistant professor of tax law. Prior to that he was an associate with Caplin & Drysdale, where he counseled on various aspects of federal income tax-

USC’s South Caroliniana Library.

ANDREW KRETSCHMAR Access Services Librarian Kretschmar previously worked at USC’s Thomas Cooper Library.

Megan, Amanda and Andrew have close ties to USC, graduating with M.L.I.S. degrees from the School of Library and Information Science.

ation, with a particular focus on U.S. international tax issues.

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At long last Distinguished speakers and a large crowd dedicate the law school’s long-awaited new building

“We have been waiting for today since September 18, 1998, when Dean John Montgomery appointed a nine-person committee, chaired by Professor Phil Lacy, to begin the design of a new law school building,” said Dean Rob Wilcox, beginning his speech at the dedication ceremony for the School of Law’s new home.

Then, turning to University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides, he continued tongue-in-cheek, “Nineteen years later, Mr. President, I am pleased to report on behalf of the committee that we have completed our work, and we submit this building as our final report.”

While the building has been long in coming, in the end its arrival couldn’t have been timed more perfectly, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the law school’s founding. The ceremony was held on Thursday, Sept. 14, and the audience of more than 600 who came to celebrate the ribbon-cutting included alumni, university and community officials, and some of the most esteemed members of the state’s and nation’s legal community.

Among the speakers were the Honorable Donald W. Beatty, ’79, chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court; William C. Hubbard, ’77, a university trustee and former president of the American Bar Association;

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Henry McMaster, ’73, governor of South Carolina; Stephen Benjamin, ’94, mayor of the City of Columbia; and President Pastides.

The Honorable Samuel A. Alito, an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, delivered the keynote address, reflecting on the building’s architecture, and complimenting its ability to link to the past, look to the present and connect to the world beyond.

“Federal-style buildings were designed for a new republic populated by independent citizens with the hardy virtues required for self-government,” Alito said. “And the new law school building, by invoking [South Carolina architect Robert] Mills, links the school to the state’s cultural history and to our nation’s founding ideals. In this way, the building respects the past, but its focus is plainly on the future.”

Each speaker, in turn, addressed the school’s long legacy, the achievements of its remarkable alumni and the current and future generations of students who will take that legacy to new heights — thanks in no small part to the excellent education they will receive in this new state-of-the-art facility.

After noting that the benches of some of the state’s most important courts are composed entirely of graduates from South Carolina Law, Chief Justice Beatty looked out at the audience and said, “You should know when entering the University of South Carolina School of Law, you are entering one of the best institutions and facilities in the country.”

Reflecting on the law school’s previous homes, Pastides said, “Each move was made not only to be in a better building, but to accelerate our excellence. This building, that is an anchor to the South Carolina legal corridor, exemplifies the excellence that we seek. Mediocrity simply cannot exist in excellent places like this.”

Indeed, the new building marks a milestone in the law school’s history, a moment to which all alumni can point with pride, and a turning point for how legal education is taught in South Carolina now, and for the next 150 years.

(left) Justice Alito cuts the ribbon to officially open the new building. (right, clockwise from top) A crowd of more than 600 came out to attend the dedication ceremony; Mayor Stephen Benjamin makes remarks; William Hubbard, Justice Alito and President Pastides enjoy a laugh during the ceremony; Dean Wilcox at the podium.

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border Beyond the

USC law students venture abroad to gain legal experiences in distant countries

The University of South Carolina School of Law’s impact extends well beyond the state of South Carolina and even the country.

In fact, alumni and students are planting South Carolina Law flags all around the world.

For 2017 law graduate Whitney Kamerzel, the school’s global reach is the reason she chose to attend the School of Law in the first place. The Florida Keys native knew she wanted to practice law in the South, but also wanted to be a part of an international legal practice.

“USC Law was able to give me that early. We have professors who have worked for organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank and who have important connections all over the world. I knew the international law program would prepare me for a successful career.”

Kamerzel started early, connecting with professors like Aparna Polavarapu, who teaches Comparative Law, Rule

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of Law, Transnational Law, and International Human Rights Law, as well as Joel Samuels, a professor and director of the University’s Rule of Law Collaborative (ROLC). She secured a position as a research assistant, and spent her first summer and second year researching human rights issues in Uganda.

In her third year, she became an important member of ROLC. “I continued taking classes that expanded my interests in international law. During my 3L year, ROLC hired me to help them train U.S. government officials on rule of law promotion in developing countries.”

When it came time to graduate, Kamerzel accepted a position as a business litigation associate at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice in Charlotte, North Carolina. But she says it was the advice of a trusted teacher that opened her mind to an additional opportunity.

“My mentor, Prof. Samuels, pointed out to me that my first activity after law school should be to work pro bono. I realized he was right. In terms of practicing international law and giving back to the community, I wanted an experience that would set the stage for my career in the future.”

Through ROLC, Kamerzel was able to get connected with attorneys in Cambodia who were looking to fill a professional volunteer position for a human rights nongovernmental organization that specializes in indigenous land rights. After taking the bar exam, she was placed in Phnom Penh for two months, before beginning her work in North Carolina.

“Our job was to work with the local communities to find resolutions for human rights abuses that were caused by foreign businesses. A large part of my job was to brainstorm alternative methods of corporate compliance since most international schemes are voluntary.”

It was the perfect opportunity to bridge the gap between the work law school had prepared her for and the precipice of her professional legal career.

“I definitely couldn’t have done it without the help of my law school professors and the Rule of Law Collaborative. And my work in Cambodia had a creative element that constantly challenged my brain. Since the ball never stopped rolling, it was a smooth transition to practicing law in the U.S.” Carmen Jackson, a third-year student, also saw an oppor­ tunity to use her legal education to make a difference on the international stage. As the global refugee crisis continues to grow, she knew that the need for lawyers and volunteers to help them was also on the rise. So, she spent the summer “down under,” assisting refugees who had fled to Australia.

After a three-week primer in Australian law, she worked at the Asylum Seekers Resource Center, taking statements from refugees and processing their cases.

“It was really difficult at first. Because the department is so hard on their claims, it wasn’t realistic that everybody was going to be able to get help from us. There were times when I had to go into an office and tell someone that we could help them draft a letter, but that we couldn’t take on their case or provide them with full assistance,” Jackson said. “I would ask the barristers if it ever got any easier, but they said that you just got used to it.”

Despite the difficulties, Jackson says the life-changing experience helped her realize her future — and how she will be able to use her South Carolina Law degree to aid refugees here in the United States.

(left) Whitney Kamerzel in Cambodia; (above) Carmen Jackson in Australia

“Refugees are all around us in America; they are not a farremoved concept. No matter your political beliefs about refugee laws and policies, remaining informed is critical to dialogue that brings about change,” says Jackson. “I think that going abroad helped me to see that the decision to enter the legal profession is one that has the potential to afford endless opportunities both domestically and abroad.

“The fact that I was able to sit across the table from people who had come from such persecution and yet still had a smile of gratitude beaming across their face was humbling in the truest sense of the word. I will remember their faces and their gratefulness forever.”

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A family (legal) affair It’s a family affair that started more than 100 years ago, when Clint Graydon graduated from the University of South Carolina law program in 1913. Now, his legacy and name carry on in his great-grandson, Clint Wallace, one of the School of Law’s newest faculty members (see page 9 for more).

Bridging the gap between the generations was Sarah McCrory, Graydon’s daughter, Wallace’s grandmother, and a 1944 alumna. In her graduating class of 10, she was one of two women. But upon reflection, she said she didn’t think being a woman in law school, even in the 1940s, was that special. Her father told her she could do anything as long as she worked for it.

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“I thought I might be governor one day, or maybe even president,” said McCrory.

Her love for political science and government enticed her to attend law school, and her fondest memories during her time here included learning from some of the country’s top legal professors. Her favorite professor was a peer of her father’s and a prominent figure in the School of Law’s history—Coleman Karesh.

“I adored Coleman Karesh. And he gave me the best compli­ ment I’ve ever received. He told me I had a mind like my father’s,” she said. “And that is a great compliment because Clint Graydon

was a brilliant attorney, not just in South Carolina, but across the country.”

Shortly after graduation, she married and raised five children.

She worked at her father’s law firm, assisting with probate work in Richland County. But she found a different calling after her father passed in 1962. He left behind hundreds of boxes filled with thousands of cases in their basement.

“I spent the whole of a winter in the basement, going through those boxes,” McCrory said. “There were about 10,000 law files.

By the time I finished, I decided there was plenty in there for a book.”

That’s when she wrote “Clint and Raven: A Lawyer and His Lady,” a book about her parents, the brilliant defense attorney and his gracious hostess wife. Since her first book, she’s written and published 27 more.

While her career path was far from that of a traditional lawyer, she said the skills and passions she developed at South Carolina Law helped her in her new career: “I love doing the research. And I just love figuring out what was going on back then. I love history.”

Clint Wallace, for his part, said it was an easy decision to return to his roots. After attending law school and starting a career in New York, the tax law professor accepted a position at South Carolina Law in the summer of 2017 — 77 years after his grandmother began her time at the same institution.

“I knew about the history of this law school producing people who I really look up to in my family,” Wallace said, “but then walking into this new building, you can just feel the energy and that people are excited about the school, about Columbia and about the state.”

He said it’s a bar and legal community that feels close-knit and welcoming — much like a family. And as he settles in with his new extended family, he said perhaps the sweetest treat was being able to walk around the new law school building with his 97-year-old grandmother, listening to the stories and history of her life and the man from whom he gets his name.

“This spot connects to so many events in the past, not just in my family, but in the history of this state,” he said. “And this

school has been in the middle of so many of those historical legal events and now we’re physically in the middle, looking towards the legal future.”

(top) Sarah McCrory (right) with fellow classmates John Martin and Ken Sallenger; (below, left) Clint Graydon in his Carolina football uniform from the 1907-1908 season and McCrory from the 1943 Garnet & Black

Sadly, Sarah McCrory died on October 24, 2017, just months after her grandson arrived on campus. We interviewed her in July for this story.

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Clinical approach Two new law clinics expand hands-on learning opportunities DREAM TEAM

Emily Suski (left) and Lisa Martin

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A young girl goes to the pediatrician with asthma symptoms and gets the treatment she needs but is back in the doctor’s office with the same symptoms two weeks later. The repeat visits continue for months because toxic mold growing in her parents’ rental home won’t allow her to get better.

Determined to get to the root of the problem, the pediatrician consults a lawyer who convinces the landlord to remove the mold. The girl’s asthma symptoms improve, the frequent trips to the doctor come to a stop and family life gets better.

It might sound like fantasy, but that’s the kind of outcome administrators and faculty at the law school are hoping for with the new Carolina Health Advocacy Medicolegal PartnerShip (CHAMPS) Clinic that began this fall.

“We need to get at the social determinants of health — things like living conditions, transportation and income stability — because those have a big effect on a person’s health and wellbeing,” says Emily Suski, assistant professor of law and director of the CHAMPS Clinic.

“The main idea of this clinic is to train a new generation of doctors and lawyers to work together to improve health outcomes.”

Ten law students, four to six medical students, a master’s of social work student, several pediatric residents and physicians will work in teams on cases referred through pediatric clinics staffed by the Palmetto Health-USC Medical Group. Working under Suski’s supervision, the student teams will discuss the pertinent medical issues of each case and determine what legal remedies might be available to address them.

In addition to the university’s law and medical schools, CHAMPS Clinic partners include Palmetto Health, the Palmetto Health-USC Medical Group and S.C. Legal Services.

The clinic began last fall and will be open regularly every spring semester thereafter.

“The students are going to be blown away,” says Caughman Taylor, professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics in the School of Medicine, which provides medical care at two pediatric clinics at Palmetto Health Richland. “They’re going to see how this delivery model can improve health and what a huge benefit it will be to have healthier children who grow up to become healthier adults.”

Suski has taught similar clinics at other institutions and says the students will first have to learn to meld their innate differences of perspective and professional lexicons. But once they begin to see results from their joint efforts, their enthusiasm will blossom, she says, pointing to a case from a medicolegal clinic she taught in Atlanta.

“We had a child who had a rare neurological disorder who ended up paralyzed; the parents split up because of the emotional strain; the mom lost her job because of missed time, then lost her car and apartment. And all of that impacted the child’s health,” she says. “We were able to help her find a job, which helped them regain housing and a car. We also got the child eligible for Supplemental Security Income. That was satisfying.”

Along with improving health outcomes and promoting interdisciplinary cooperation, the CHAMPS Clinic also holds potential for health and educational research, and opportunities abound for collaboration with other campus partners, Suski says.

“I’m open to the idea of bringing in psychology and public health students. There’s rich potential here,” she says.

Taylor affirms that notion, pointing to the future. “We’re bringing together professions that haven’t always collaborated,” he says. “Just think what those individuals can do when, say, a doctor in a rural community teams up with a lawyer in the same community who agrees to take on a few pro bono cases every year. That could be huge. I can’t wait to kick this off.”

they otherwise would want to leave, such as financial insecurity and immigration status. I also see us engaged in broader initiatives such as community education projects so that people know what their legal rights are,” she says.

Martin’s interest in domestic violence issues began in law school when she worked in an international human rights clinic. After graduation, she took on as much pro bono work as possible in areas of domestic and family violence. She later joined the staff of a nonprofit teen violence prevention organi­ zation before joining the law faculty at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. “It’s satisfying to be able to teach about domestic violence, but even more so that I’m able to make a difference by training law students who will later take on pro bono cases in this arena,” Martin says.

Fellow law professor Eboni Nelson serves as board president of SisterCare in Columbia, an organization that partners with women in abusive relationships. She hopes a collaboration will form with the new clinic when it launches this spring.

“There is a dearth of advocates for this kind of work,” Nelson says. “The clinic will train future generations of those who will go into this full time and those who will do this as pro bono work.”

Volunteers hold cardboard silhouettes representing people who died from domestic violence attacks in South Carolina during an October 2014 candlelight vigil in Goose Creek, S.C. In a 2017 report by the Violence Policy Center, South Carolina ranked fifth among states with the highest rates of females killed by males. (U.S. Air Force photo

by Senior Airman George Goslin/Released)

STOPPING THE VIOLENCE When Lisa Martin (see page 9) arrived at the School of Law this past summer, she brought more than 10 years of experience in the law school clinical world in addition to several years as an attorney advocating for teen victims of domestic volence.

The director of the new Domestic Violence Clinic envisions two goals for the program. “I see us involved in seeking emergency relief through domestic violence protection orders and addressing other issues that keep people in abusive relationships

U NI V E RS I T Y O F S O U TH C A R O LIN A

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alumni news 1973 A. Victor Rawl Sr. joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP in September.

1975 Steve Wukela, Jr. , Wukela Law Firm, was awarded the 2017 Ralph King Anderson Jr. Award in December.

1976 Elizabeth Van Doren Gray, Sowell Gray Robinson Stepp & Laffitte LLC, received the 2017 DuRant Distinguished Public Service Award by

the South Carolina Bar Foundation in November.

Ronald C. Scott , Scott & Corley PA, was honored with the Order of the Palmetto

by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster in October.

1977 M. Malissa Burnette, Burnette Shutt & McDaniel PA, was honored with the Stephen G. Morrison/ Nelson Mullins Social Justice Award from the Columbia Urban League in November.

Judy Clarke received the Griffin Bell Award for Courageous Advocacy from the American College of Trial Lawyers in March.

1981 Cliff ord Scott was named the new director of USC’s Office of Equal Opportunity Programs in May.

1984 Donald C. Coggins Jr. was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be a U.S. District Court judge for the District of South Carolina in November.

1986

STAYING COCKY

Amy Snyder joined Clawson and Staubes LLC in March.

For the second consecutive year,

1989

the president of The DRI —

Samuel J. Konduros, SCBio, was honored with the Order of the Palmetto by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster in October.

The Voice of the Defense Bar is John E. Cuttino

a South Carolina Law graduate.

When 1982 alumnus John E. Cuttino’s term ended in Oct.

1990 Frank C. Williams III was named partnerin-charge of Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP in April.

1991 Edwin P. Martin Jr. joined Ryan Montgomery Attorney at Law LLC in September.

1992 Cynthia Durham Blair, Blair Cato Pickren Casterline LLC, received the “Outstanding Advocate of the Year” award from the American Land Title Association in May.

1994 Christine E. Brimm was named partner at Barton Brimm PA (formerly known as Barton Law Firm PA) in April.

1995 A. Victor Rawl Jr. became a co-managing partner

at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP in September.

John C. McElwaine was named managing partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP in March.

1996 Charles B. Jordan Jr. joined The Pearce Law Group PC in April.

1997 J. Ashley Cooper joined Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP in April.

Tameika Isaac Devine was recognized by the National League of Cities’ University for reaching the gold level in its certificate program in March.

Daniel Q. Orvin, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice LLP, was named a fellow in the American College of Real Estate Lawyers in April.

2017, he handed the reins of the national organization over to John F. Kuppens ’89, who will John F. Kuppens

serve for the 2017-2018 term.

18 / S CHO O L O F L AW

Have news you’d like to share? Tell us!

Email your updates to lawnews@law.sc.edu. Due to space limitations, the fine print* alumni news section includes only updates about new positions, promotions, awards, wedding and birth announcements, etc. For a full listing that includes state and national designations, please visit law.sc.edu/thefineprint/ alumninews.

ALUMNI

1999 E. Dale Lang Jr. joined Clawson and Staubes LLC in May.

2000 Peter G. Siachos became a comanaging partner at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP in September.

2001 Melody Breeden joined Turner Padget Graham & Laney PA in April.

2003 J. Bennett Crites III was named partner at Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP in March.

2004 Michael Weaver was honored by the United Way of the Midlands with the Alyce Kemp DeWitt Award in May.

2005 Benjamin A.C. Traywick became a certified member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum in May.

2006 Andrew Gaunce opened Gaunce Law in St. Petersburg, Fla., in May.

2007 Sarah Whatley joined Morris Law LLC in May.

2008 Halsey O. Schreier joined CIBC Atlantic Trust Private Wealth Management’s New

York office as a wealth strategist in May.

OUR 150TH ANNIVERSARY,

news

continued from page 7

2009 Julie L. Moore was named a principal at Duffy & Young LLC in April.

2010 Joseph Bias was named the 2017 Lawyer of the Year by the SC Bar Law Related Education Division in April.

Eliot B. Peace joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP in March.

2012 Daniel Coble was appointed as a Richland County magistrate judge in April.

Benjamin Gooding was elected to the S.C. Wildlife Federation’s board of directors in April.

Kerri Rupert was named chair of the Professional Development Com­ mittee of the S.C. Women Lawyers Association in March.

2014 Ellen Darcy joined Hughes White Colbo Wilcox & Tervooren LLC in May. Chad Darcy joined Hughes White Colbo Wilcox & Tervooren LLC in May.

2016 J. Joseph Owens was married to Caroline Fuqua in October.

The exterior facade of the School of Law today

building to have the name of the school engraved in stone above its entrance. As such, it opens with a permanence of presence and purpose not always associated with the three previous law school buildings.

No single descriptor adequately captures the new building. It is traditional in its classical exterior design, reflecting in important ways the influence of 19th century architect Robert Mills. Yet it offers a fresh and modern interior style, with copious amounts of glass and natural light. Its construction materials are a durable blend of brick, limestone and granite, but its hallmark is its flexibility of design, allowing it to adapt nimbly as legal education changes in the years ahead.

Indeed, the School of Law has transformed itself into a living educational space. But more importantly, it will continue to lead the way in which legal education is taught in our state and in our nation for the next 150 years.

U NI V E RS I T Y O F S O U TH C A R O LIN A

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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit #766 Columbia, SC

1525 Senate Street Columbia, SC 29208

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! JANUARY 31

FEBRUARY 22

JUNE 6

Alumni Happy Hour in Florence

Alumni Oyster Roast

Alumni BBQ

All alumni are welcome to join us

Save the date and join us for

With your fellow alumni preparing

for our first get-together in Florence.

some of the best oysters and

the food and performing live music,

We hope to see you there!

chili in Charleston.

our annual alumni BBQ is an event you won’t want to miss.

FEBRUARY 9 South Carolina Law Review Symposium – Surviving the A.I. Surge The symposium will explore the legal, ethical and practical implications of the use of artificial intelligence in the practice of law, as well as how lawyers can embrace AI and learn to thrive in a rapidly evolving legal market.

APRIL 12-14 Mentoring: Meeting the Challenges of a Changing Legal Profession Join the National Legal Mentoring Consortium for a national conference focusing on recent changes, trends, and culture of the legal profession affecting mentoring programs.

APRIL 19 26th Annual Compleat Lawyer Awards Ceremony Join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of nine outstanding alumni at our annual awards dinner.

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