Type: Programs approved by the Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization of the South Carolina Supreme Court.
Approved programs: Civil Practice Advocacy, Civil Trial Advocacy, Criminal Law Trial Advocacy, Elder Law, Family Law Trial Advocacy, Legal Professional Liability, Medical Professional Liability, Child Welfare Law, Social Security Disability
Regulatory scheme: A lawyer who is certified under Rule 408, SCACR, as a specialist in a specialty field designated by the Supreme Court Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization and approved by the Supreme Court, or a lawyer who has been issued a certificate of specialization by an independent certifying organization approved by the Supreme Court Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization pursuant to the Regulations for Legal Specialization in South Carolina, Part IV, Appendix D, § VI, SCACR, is entitled to advertise or state publicly in any manner otherwise permitted by these rules that the lawyer is certified as a specialist in South Carolina. The name of the certifying organization must be clearly identified in the communication. Pursuant to Appendix D, Regulations for Legal Specialization in South Carolina of the SCACR, “An independent certifying organization, whose standards and procedures equal or exceed the minimum standards for certification specified in Rule 408, SCACR, and these Regulations, which has been accredited by the ABA, may be approved to issue certificates of specialization to South Carolina lawyers. However, such certificates of specialization may be offered only in those fields of the law in which specialization is not available from the Court. For this purpose, if specialization is available from the Court in any sub-area of a field of law in which an independent certifying organization offers or proposes to offer certification, that field of law shall be considered one in which specialization is available from the Court. Applications from independent certifying organizations that have not been accredited by the ABA will be rejected.” Currently, four independent certifying organizations are approved to offer programs of specialization certification.
Contact:
Brenton Burry, Assistant Director
South Carolina Supreme Court Commission on CLE & Specialization
950 Taylor Street Study
Columbia, SC 29201
803/799-5578
Website