Foundation

A NEWSLETTER FROM THE

Our mission is to fund the advancement of justice by improving access, education and accountability.

BriefCelebrating and Honoring ... Gala 2014

SUMMER 2014

Shoes were shined, suits were pressed and dresses were donned on the night of March 21 to honor the accomplishments of attorneys in South Carolina at the eighth annual Bar Foundation Gala.

A Look Back at 1964Nifty Fifty honorees and their guests entered and immediately took the chance to catch up with old friends, picking up right where they last left off years ago. After enjoying some refreshments, Chief Justice Jean Hoefer Toal and Justice Costa Pleicones took them back in time to the year they were admitted to the SC Bar. The year that the Beatles had their first #1 hit and made their debut appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, the first lung transplant was performed and a new car cost $2,350. Laughs echoed as the audience reminisced about 1964.

Photos, past and present, of the members projected onto the screen as each attorney made his way to the podium to be inducted into the elite group. Congratulations were exchanged throughout the room as the honorees received their Nifty Fifty pin and shook hands with the presiding Justices, former Governor Richard W. Riley and Foundation President Bev Carroll.

After the pinning ceremony, the Nifty Fifty class was presented to more than 250 members of South Carolina’s legal community who applauded and raised their glass as each member walked proudly down the red carpet. “Thank you for your years of service and for your leadership and example for those of us who follow you,” said Pres. Carroll as a toast to the class.

Continued

Photo credit: RIM Photography

The SC Bar Nifty Fifty Class of 1964.

Beverly A. Carroll, president of the South Carolina Bar Foundation, was named a 2014 Compleat Lawyer Platinum Award recipient by the University of South Carolina (USC) Law School Alumni Council. Carroll and the other 2014 award recipients were recognized at the Compleat Lawyer Awards Reception and Dinner on April 24.

The awards were established in 1992 by the alumni association to recognize alumni for outstanding civic and professional accomplishments. Recipients are individuals who have made significant contributions to the legal profession and exemplify the highest standards of professional competence, ethics and integrity.

A partner at Hamilton Martens Ballou & Carroll, Carroll graduated from Winthrop College and the USC School of Law. She is a former member of both the SC Bar Board of Governors and the House of Delegates. She is a member of the USC Law School Alumni Council and currently serves as vice-chair of the Rock Hill Parks and Recreation Commission and on the board of directors for the York County Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Rock Hill Economic Development Corporation.

Since 2008, Carroll has served as a Director of the South Carolina Bar Foundation; serving as President in the current year. She proudly supports – and looks to provide understanding about – the mission of the Foundation and the work of the grantees.

Bar Foundation President Honored as Compleat Lawyer

Honoring the DedicatedPres. Carroll began one of the gala’s greatest traditions; honoring the two attorneys who had shown their dedication to legal services and made a difference in the lives of South Carolinians.

The lights dimmed as the screen behind the stage illuminated to introduce the 2013 SC Bar Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year, Sharon Y. Ward. In her video interview, Sharon described how she was first on the other side of the pro bono coin as a beneficiary of legal services. Sharon said her pro bono work was just something that made sense to do. “We all have talents and skills and we all have the same amount of time in life. I’ve always tried to align whatever talents and skills I might have with trying to do something that matters.”

The next honoree, Kimberly Shelton, was recognized as the 2013 Ellen Hines Smith Legal Services Lawyer of the Year. Check out our interview with Kimberly on page 4 of the newsletter.

Remembering Judge WestbrookThe next portion of the program was named “Martha’s Moment” in honor of Martha B. Dicus to remember lawyers who passed too soon, but during their lifetimes displayed a tremendous commitment to public and professional service in the legal community.

The Bar Foundation celebrated the life of the Hon. Marc H. Westbrook – judge of the 11th Circuit Court, member of the SC House of Representatives and devoted community activist. During the video honoring the judge, former clerk John Frick had this to say:

“If there was one thing I’d have to pin that Judge Westbrook taught me, it was that the courthouse was the place where, regardless of what’s happened to you and regardless of who you are, you can go there and be treated with respect. You can find justice in that place.”

Thad and Richard Westbrook, sons of the Judge, were recognized at the podium.

A Message from the GovernorIn his keynote address, Gov. Richard W. Riley reminded guests why they had come that night. “Supporting the Bar Foundation is not just another check you write to a charity,” said the governor. “The benefits are real. Your support saves someone from losing their home. Your support reunites a dad with his children. Your support keeps a woman safe through an Order of Protection. Your support enriches the minds and lives of youth through law related education opportunities.”

Time to Raise Those PaddlesBar Foundation Board members J. Calhoun Watson and Marie-Louise Ramsdale took off their lawyer hats and put on their auctioneer caps for the next portion of the program – the second annual billable hour live auction.

Marie-Louise Ramsdale started the bidding with the first price point - $1,000. “Your $1,000 gift will give a woman and her children freedom from a life of abuse by giving them the legal support needed to obtain a divorce,” she said. Spotters throughout the crowd quickly scribbled bidder numbers on their clipboards as program booklets and nametags shot up in the air.

Winding DownThe Foundation Gala generated nearly $50,000. Raising such support for the Foundation’s 18 grantees would not have been possible without the attendees and the many gala sponsors. The Foundation would like to give special thanks to Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, Collins & Lacy and Hamilton Martens Ballou & Carroll for helping make this event a success.

Gov. Richard W. Riley and Betty Farr toast the Nifty Fifty Class of 1964.

(From Left to Right): Alice Paylor, SC Bar Immediate Past President, and Chief Justice Toal present Sharon Ward with the 2013 SC Bar Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year Award.

Photo credit: RIM Photography

Photo credit: RIM Photography

Goldberg Scholar Already Engaged in Public Interest LawEvery year, the Goldberg Scholarship is awarded to one deserving University of South Carolina law student. The scholarship was created in honor of I.M. Goldberg, a well-known family law practitioner in Charleston. The student is selected by the Law School and the presentation is made at the annual USC Awards Day. The 2014 Goldberg Scholar is Sarah Phillips.

Sarah received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She then began pursuing her law degree at the USC School of Law, where she has worked

with student organizations like the Children’s Advocacy Law Society and the Public Interest Law Society. She was also selected to serve on the USC Pro Bono Board.

This summer, Sarah plans to continue doing legislative research for the Children’s Law Center as well as work as a law clerk for the SC Center for Fathers and Families thanks to the Public Interest Fellowship funded by the Foundation through the USC School of Law Pro Bono Program.

Sarah would like to thank the Bar Foundation for its continued support of her pursuits to better the lives of children and families through the practice of law, and expresses her deep gratitude for this award.

Are You a Savvy Donor?By Abacus Planning Group

1. DoestheSCBarFoundationhaveacommitmenttoaccountabilityandtransparency?

The SC Bar Foundation Board follows best practices for governance including an annual performance review and process for evaluating the executive director, a whistleblower policy, and term limits for board members. Organizations that practice good governance are less likely to engage in unethical or irresponsible activities.

2.DoestheSCBarFoundationhaveacommitmenttofinancialintegrity?

You can evaluate the Bar Foundation’s financial health by reviewing its annual report online which summarizes income, expenses, grants and other key financial information. You can also check the organization’s Form 990 (an IRS required filing for federally tax-exempt organizations) online at Guidestar. The most efficient charities spend 75% or more of their budget on their programs and services and less than 25% on fundraising and administrative fees. The SC Bar Foundation achieves this goal.

3.HaveyouengagedinadialoguewiththeSCBarFoundationtounderstanditsimpactinyourcommunity?

Committed donors take the time to talk with a nonprofit to learn about its accomplishments, goals and challenges. These conversations help donors and the organization advance real change. The SC Bar Foundation welcomes these conversations to improve its impact in our community. Contact Executive Director Shannon Scruggs to set up your appointment today!

4.Haveyouconsideredconcentratingyourgiving?

Increasingly, sophisticated donors are concentrating their giving to organizations for which they have a passion for the organization’s mission and impact. The Bar Foundation, focused on the advancement of justice, is efficiently run and impacting your own community. As a member of the legal profession, the SC Bar Foundation may very well become your charitable organization of choice.

When considering a gift to the SC Bar Foundation, or any non-profit organization, make sure you are a savvy donor and ask the following questions:

Photo credit: Jason Ayer

SavetheDateforGala2015! The event will be held during the SC Bar Convention on Jan. 24, 2015.

Meet Kimberly Shelton—2013 Ellen Hines Smith Legal Services Lawyer of the YearAfter graduating from the College of Charleston, Kim Shelton, like any other college graduate, was just trying to figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up. This trial-and-error process landed Kim in various odd jobs, including working for Census 2000. “The geographic area I worked in was very close to the community that I lived in, but socially and economically a world apart,” she explained. “I walked door to door for months in a mostly low-income community gathering data that would hopefully ensure or encourage more spending for programs in the community.” This was the experience that planted the seed in Kim to work with and help the underprivileged for the rest of her life.

While at Vermont Law School, Kim found herself splitting her time between her favorite things: environmental activism and public interest work. After graduation, she found herself back in Charleston with an opportunity to be involved with South Carolina Legal Services (SCLS).

Out of all her cases, the one that has stuck with Kim was during her first year in practice; a case in which the client’s parental rights were being terminated. The client, a young mother separated from her children for years, had been bogged down in the system after her husband abused one of her children. At the time of trial, the client had done everything that was asked of her and DSS finally supported reunification. After a six-day trial, however, her rights were terminated.

“I was heartbroken to see the injustice of the situation and began to think that I was not cut out for this line of work,” Kim confessed. “Fortunately, I was also involved in the appeal, which we won, and our client was finally reunited with her family. It restored my faith in the justice system,” she said, smiling.

Speaking of children – we asked Kim what advice she would give her son if he decided to work in the legal profession. She made it clear that anyone who enters the legal field needs to feel passionately about it and the kinds of cases they want to take. “I think that many people go into the legal field for the perceived prestige or financial gain and lose their zeal for the profession, their cases and their clients,” she explained. “It shows in their work and their attitude toward other attorneys. I don’t think every case has to be the stuff of a John Grisham novel, but I think it’s important to have a deeper sense of

purpose behind your practice.”

Kim has found her sense of purpose working with the Veteran Affairs Homeless Justice Project. “My father is a veteran, and in general, veterans are a very sympathetic and rewarding group of individuals to work with,” she said. We started discussing how to start a clinic where we could establish ourselves once a month and meet with veterans to discuss their legal issues. We started the clinic in the fall, and so far it has been very successful.”

Outside of the office, Kim has created a program where she trains and supervises volunteer law students each semester in assisting victims of domestic violence. The idea for the program came when the Coordinated Community Response to Domestic Violence (CCRDV) was beginning to notice the relatively poor quality of Petitions for Orders of Protection being filed by unrepresented victims. The victims’ lack of knowledge about how to testify before the court at their hearings was also a concern. “The original goal of CCRDV was to have private attorneys and law students representing all victims through a clinic setting at the courthouse,” she said. “This was not an immediately practical goal, so I offered to start a project with the Charleston School of Law in which I would train and supervise students to assist victims with this process.”

After working with SCLS for almost eight years, Kim has been able to see the efforts in the state provide access to our legal system, but know there is still a lot of work to be done. “I want to provide increased access to the justice system to everyone,” she said. “This will require a change in attitude towards unrepresented people in order to provide them with enough information that they can begin to understand the legal system and what might be required of them.”

For all of her efforts, Kim was selected as the 2013 Ellen Hines Smith Legal Services Lawyer of the Year. The award is co-presented by the Foundation and the SC Access to Justice Commission. Kim said she is incredibly grateful to those who nominated her for this award. “I don’t expect or anticipate being given an award for the work I do,” she said, “so it is very nice to realize that my level of commitment to my job and the low-income community is recognized by someone with whom I work.”

Want to get involved with SCLS? Contact Andrea Loney, executive director, at (803) 744-4179 or andrealoney@sclegal.org.

Tribute GiftsThe Bar Foundation gratefully acknowledges those who have made gifts in tribute of a colleague or friend of the Bar for the period February 1 to May 31, 2014. Names in bold denote the honoree.

IN MEMORY OFJohn B. Allen Jr.C. Joseph Roof

Donald B. BarkowitzJohn M. Bleecker Jr. Joseph S. Mendelsohn

Hon. Walter J. Bristow Jr. Sylvia J. McDonald

Hon. Walter B. Brown Jr.Catherine S. Hendrix

John Furman Daniel Jr.Hon. T.L. Hughston Jr.

Martha B. DicusEve M. Stacey

David L. FreemanWallace K. Lightsey

Allan E. Fulmer Sr. C. Joseph Roof

Wallis M. GeigerRodney & Claudia Peeples

Julian H. GignilliatR. Read Gignilliat

James William “Bill” Hancock Jr.

Catherine S. HendrixJane M. Randall

P. King HolmesJoseph S. Mendelsohn

Hon. Marion H. KinonJustice Kaye G. Hearn & George M.

Hearn Jr.

Benjamin M. MabryMr. & Mrs. Nick Barber Jr. Thomas Dickinson Abigail Mabry FrickKatherine LogueMary Claire McNaught

Hon. Matthew J. Perry Jr. James P. Hudson

Melvin L. RobertsNancy Cornwell-DavesBobbie B. Roberts

Hon. Klyde RobinsonJohn M. Bleecker Jr.Hon. T. L. Hughston Jr.

Wade S. “Chip” Weatherford IIIJames R. Robinson

M.M. “Rusty” Weinberg Jr.Jacob H. Jennings

Hon. Marc H. WestbrookGeorge B. Cauthen

IN HONOR OFDavid F. AylorCharleston County Bar Association

Mark W. Buyck Jr.Laura & Clarke FinleyWillcox Williams & Buyck, PA

James D. CallahanCharleston County Bar Association

Beverly A. CarrollElaine H. Fowler Shannon Willis Scruggs

Cooper Law FirmGeorge B. Cauthen

John P. Freeman Charleston County Bar Association

Steven W. HammLeslie A. Cotter Jr.

Amy L. B. HillAnonymousRebecca Laffitte

Senator Ernest F. HollingsJoseph P. Griffith Jr.

Christopher R. KoonDonald GeeSusan Koon

Thomas E. McCutchenJames A. “Jimmy” Stuckey Jr.

Melvin B. McKeown Jr. Mindy & Steve McCrae Jr.

John Gregg McMasterJames A. & Gary Friar Stuckey

John S. NicholsSowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte, LLC

Beth PadgettCharleston County Bar Association

Alice F. PaylorLeslie A. Cotter Jr.

Shannon Willis ScruggsJustice Kaye G. Hearn & George M.

Hearn Jr. Sandra Willis

Kimberly Perdue SheltonGeorge B. Cauthen

Sharon Young WardGeorge B. Cauthen

J. Calhoun Watson Abacus Planning GroupAnonymousLeslie A. Cotter Jr.Rebecca Laffitte

When “thank you” just isn’t enough...recognize your mentor with a tribute gift. Let everyone know just how much your mentor has impacted your career by honoring them today or memorializing them tomorrow.

The Bar Foundation will also be listing tribute gifts online at www.scbarfoundation.org.

Midlands Gives: Uniting Our CommunityWhat do the Bar Foundation, a theatre and a children’s shelter have in common? They all helped unite the Midlands on May 6, the national day of giving! That day, the Bar Foundation and 150 other organizations participated in Midlands Gives, a 24-hour online giving challenge designed to increase charitable giving in the Midlands. This event made it possible for every gift given via midlandsgives.org to go further because of a bonus pool provided by Midlands Gives sponsors. The entire program, facilitated by the Central Carolina Community Foundation, generated $704,932.23 for nonprofits in 11 counties across the Midlands.

We are grateful to those individuals below who made it possible for the Foundation to collect $7,950 in donations on May 6. And – that’s not all – an extra $816 will come to us from the bonus pool.

Thank you all for making this day of giving a success!

PO Box 608, Columbia, SC 29202

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDColumbia, SC

Permit No. 104

Donor FORM

Three ways to remit payment1. Credit card – complete form above 2. Online at www.scbarfoundation.org 3. Send a check, payable to the Foundation, to the address below:

SC Bar Foundation, Attn: Ms. Shannon W. Scruggs, PO Box 608, Columbia, SC 29202

Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________Phone:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________E-Mail: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________Gift Amount: $ _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Check: (please make payable to SC Bar Foundation and mail to address below) Credit Card: Card Holder’s Name: __________________________________________________________________________________________Card Number: ________________________________________________________________________________________________Exp. Date____________ Security Code: ___________ Zip Code:______________ Authorized Signature: ________________________________________________________________________________________

T H A N K YO U F O R YO U R S U P P O R T !

Designation (choose one):

Apply my gift where it is needed most

Children’s Fund

Disabled Lawyers Fund

Brewer Professionalism Fund

Other information: My gift is a tribute gift in honor/memory of:

Name _______________________________________

City ____________________________ State______

I have included the Bar Foundation in my will.Summer 2014

Get your copy of Jonathan Green’s painting, “Breath of Freedom,” which depicts the crowd outside the courthouse during the Briggs v. Elliott trial.

The print is being sold in collaboration with the statue dedication to the Hon. J. Waties Waring in Charleston. “To me, it’s awfully heartening when people suddenly sniff a little breath of freedom,” the judge said, describing the crowd in the painting.

The artwork is available for $100 and may be purchased via scbarfoundation.org. Proceeds will be used by the J. Waties Waring Statue Committee to help distribute copies of this great work to student classrooms across South Carolina.

Purchasers will need to contact Roland Knight at Charleston School of Law at 864-918-9807 or via email at rmknight@charlestonlaw.edu to make arrangements to receive their painting.

“Breath of Freedom” Prints Available