Spring 2004

Spring, 2004 Website: http://www.charlestonbar.org

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Colleagues,

In this first newsletter of my term as President, I am delighted to report that truly remarkable and positive developments have recently taken place in the pro bono arena.

The Charleston County Bar Association and we as members have long recognized our obligation to provide indigent individuals in this county with fair access to the judicial system through legal representation at reduced or no cost. The indigent population’s need for legal representation, however, far outstrips the Bar’s ability to provide it. Court ordered assignments to represent indigent individuals are issued only in DSS or criminal cases. Of course, these are not the only matters in which the indigent need representation. For several decades, the Bar relied on non-profit organizations to help meet these needs – primary among them, the Neighborhood Legal Assistance Program (“NLAP”). NLAP was founded in 1967 by members of this Bar to provide legal assistance to indigent people in the Charleston area. NLAP was forced to wind down its operations in 2001 when it lost the federal funding that it had received annually from the Legal Service Corporation (“LSC”) since 1975. NLAP’s closure of its doors eliminated a primary source of legal services that had been available to indigent people in the Charleston area for thirty-four years. The good news is that NLAP recently settled litigation with LSC which will provide nearly one million dollars to establish a new pro bono legal services program in Charleston.

By way of background, after closing its doors NLAP sold the building which had housed its headquarters on upper King Street since 1976. The value of the property at 483 King Street had appreciated tremendously, and it sold for over one million dollars. Following the sale, LSC sued NLAP in federal court claiming an interest in the sale, claiming that its funds had been used to purchase the building and LSC therefore had a resulting trust. Charleston lawyers Gerry Kaynard, Frank McCann and George Kefalos were instrumental in brokering the settlement of the lawsuit. Under the settlement agreement, LSC will grant $915,000.00 of the sales proceeds of the building to establish a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation to administer free civil legal services in the Charleston area to clients meeting LSC’s guidelines. The payment is a one-time, special purpose grant. The new non-profit entity will hire a grant coordinator to seek other funding sources and monies to perpetuate the program.

As a result, on February 17, 2004 the Charleston County Bar Association established Pro Bono Legal Services, Inc. as a non-profit corporation existing for the purpose of providing legal representation to or obtaining it for “indigent persons, the elderly, for consumers and for victims of domestic violence, including the provision of educational programs, information and referral services, and related activities to promote such legal assistance and representation.” Although Pro Bono Legal Services, Inc. is a completely separate entity from the Bar Association, the Bar Association will communicate and work closely with the new organization to help it achieve its stated mission.

Please join me in offering our thanks to Gerry Kaynard, Frank McCann, George Kefalos and the members of the Charleston Bar who served on NLAP’s Board of Directors for their efforts in achieving this result for the citizens of Charleston County.

Sincerely,

Carol

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Nancy A. Chiles and Terry Ann Rickson are pleased to announce the relocation of their law offices to 102 Wappoo Creek Drive, Suite 8, Charleston, SC 29412. Anne E. Mjaatvedt has joined the firm as an associate. Tel. 722-1500; Fax. 722-7080; E-mails: terry@ricksonlaw.com and nchiles@scbar.org.

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Stephan V. Futeral and Jennifer S. Brookshire are pleased to announce the opening of Futeral & Brookshire, LLC. The firm is located at 1004 Anna Knapp Boulevard, 2nd floor, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464 (mailing address: Post Office Box 1543, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29465-1543). Tel. 284-5500; Fax. 284-5501; Web site: http://www.mtpleasantlawyers.com.

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McAngus Goudelock & Courrie, LLC announces that William H. Nixon, Jr., former law clerk to the Honorable Edward B. Cottingham and former Assistant Solicitor for the Ninth Judicial Circuit in Berkeley County, has become an associate in the firm’s Charleston office. Mr. Nixon’s practice focuses on workers’ compensation and general liability defense.

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Tom Milligan is pleased to announce the relocation of The Milligan Law Firm, PC to 721 Long Point Road, Suite 401, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464. Tel. 971-6750; Fax. 971-6509.

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Thomas S. Tisdale, Jr. has resigned after 40 years as a partner at Young, Clement, Rivers, & Tisdale and has joined the Charleston office of Nexsen Pruet, LLC. Mr. Tisdale will practice in Nexsen Pruet's litigation group.

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Sean K. Trundy announces that he has left the firm of Pratt-Thomas, Epting & Walker to go into private practice. He will continue to litigate in the areas of construction, insurance coverage, business and contractual disputes, real estate-related litigation and personal injury. Tel. 296-6156; Fax. 207-8487; E-mail: sean.trundy@scbar.org; Mailing address: Post Office Box 41343, North Charleston, SC 29423.

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Warren & Sinkler, L.L.P. is pleased to announce that Ashley C. Dantzler and Maureen E. Maginnis have joined the firm as associates in their Charleston office located at 171 Church Street, Suite 340, Charleston, SC 29401.

The Law Offices of Robertson H. Wendt is pleased to announce that Michelle R. Suggs has joined the firm located at 51 State Street, Charleston, SC 29401. Tel. 723-6555.

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Office Space for Rent: New construction, conveniently located off the Mark Clark Expressway. 721 Long Point Road, Suite 401, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464. Please contact Tom Milligan at 971-6750 .

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Office Space for Rent. Downtown Charleston, The Franke Building, 171 Church Street. Attorney and paralegal offices available with use of conference rooms, lobby, kitchen and receptionist. High speed Internet access available. Call Kathy McKillip at 577-7557.

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Office Space for Lease: Several suites are available for lease in the Franke Building located at 171 Church Street. Suite 140 is 3,500 SF and has private offices, a large conference room, a break room and a full bathroom. Suite 218 is 1,000 SF. It has private offices and a galley kitchen, and includes a telephone system. Suite 320 is 1,700 SF and can be subdivided to a minimum of 800 SF. The offices in Suites 218 and 320 overlook the courtyard. Please contact Leslie Fellabom, Norton & Sanford, at 577-3777 ext. 1, for pricing information and floor plans.

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Attention: Attorneys who need clerical help. Are you a new young attorney just starting practice? An established attorney who could use some extra typing hands? I do word processing from my home. Highest quality, fast turnaround time, comparable rates. Call Judi Berry at 571-6876.

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CHARLESTON SCHOOL OF LAW

The Charleston School of Law is accepting applications for adjunct professors of legal writing. Applicants should be practicing lawyers with strong writing skills. Teaching experience preferred; clerkship, appellate experience a plus. Adjunct professors will teach 12-15 students per year in a coordinated legal writing program. Applications will be considered during Spring 2004 for classes beginning in August 2004. If interested, send cover letter, resume, and writing sample to:

Professor Lorri S. Unumb
Director of Legal Research and Writing
Charleston School of Law
Post Office Box 535
Charleston, SC 29402

STAFF ATTORNEY VACANCIES
THE SOUTH CAROLINA CENTERS FOR EQUAL JUSTICE
ANDERSON, CONWAY, FLORENCE AND ORANGEBURG

Applicants must have strong advocacy skills and the ability to work effectively with low-income clientele. Must have SC Bar membership.

Excellent total compensation package. Equal Opportunity Employer. If interested, please send cover letter, resume, two writing samples, and three references to Andrea E. Loney, Interim Director, SCCEJ, Post Office Box 2267, Columbia, SC 29202.

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TRI-COUNTY PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION JOB BANK

If you would like to list your open legal assistant/paralegal positions with the TCPA job bank, please contact Karla Ruopoli at 576-5534 or mkruopoli@mindspring.com.

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HAVE YOU MOVED?

Any attorney who has a change of address or contact information should do the following in the future: 1) go the Charleston County Bar Association Website: www.charlestonbar.org; 2) click on “Contact Us”; and 3) fill out the pertinent information. This will ensure that your information is changed on the website and also on our local Bar’s mailing list. Most of our mailings are sent via bulk mail. If the address that we have on record is not correct, the Post Office does not return it to us and we have no notification of a problem with the address.

CIRCUIT COURT SCHEDULE - NINTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

(Court schedules are changing constantly; please verify current information through S.C. Court Administration or by checking the South Carolina Judicial Department website at http://www.judicial.state.sc.us/calendar/index.cfm)

FAMILY COURT SCHEDULE - NINTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

(information supplied by Clerk of Court’s Office)

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FEDERAL COURT JURY VERDICTS

(there were no federal court jury verdicts for this quarter)