News

Creating families forever
The S.C. Bar CLE Division and the Young Lawyers Division will co-sponsor Creating Families Forever: The How-To of the Adoption Process on Thursday, October 9. This seminar is being held in conjunction with YLD's new service project, Families Forever, which is designed to educate South Carolinians about adoption and provide them with tools that will help families stay together forever. Course planner and moderator Tiffany Spann-Wilder has organized some of South Carolina's most experienced adoption law practitioners who will teach attendees how to navigate the complex waters of the state, national and international adoption process. Reserve your space now as seating is limited!
 
Subgrant available for winning project proposal 
The Young Lawyers Division is offering members an opportunity to apply for the Membership Service/Public Service Subgrant for FY2008-2009. The subgrant will be awarded for a project that focuses on member-related services such as membership recruitment programs or young lawyer mentor programs or a public service project involving either pro bono delivery of legal services or other law-related services to the community. One thousand dollars will be awarded for the best project proposal. To apply, submit eight copies of the completed application packet by September 24 to: S.C. Bar Young Lawyers Division, Subgrant, Tara Smith, P.O. Box 608, Columbia, SC 29202.  For more information, contact Ms. Smith at (803) 799-6653, ext. 146 or tsmith@scbar.org.

Volunteers, laptops and printers needed for wills clinic
YLD will host a wills clinic for first responders on September 12 in Georgetown. The clinic will be held from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office at 430 N. Frasier St. Volunteers are needed to assist in this effort as up to 100 police officers are expected to participate. Wills and health care directives will be provided to first responders. All lawyers, regardless of practice area, may volunteer and are asked to work in four-hour shifts. If you are interested in volunteering or would like to donate your laptop and/or printer, please contact Tara Smith at (803) 799-6653, ext. 146 or tsmith@scbar.org. Please respond by September 5, 2008.

Congratulations!
The Young Lawyers Division has been recognized with 2007-08 ABA/YLD Awards of Achievement in the following categories:

1st place: Single Project Service to the Public
Community Law Week

2nd place: Comprehensive Application
All projects

2nd place: Single Project Service to the Bar
Disaster Relief Training Seminar

2nd place: Minority Project
Minority Pre-Law Conference

Special Recognition: Newsletter
The Bar Tab
 
Thanks to all who were involved in making these projects such a great success.

School supplies needed for backpack drive
The Done in a Day Committee is sponsoring a backpack drive to benefit students in public schools along I-95. A list of items and drop-off locations are listed below. Donations must be received at the collection sites by August 28. Please contact Tara Smith at (803) 799-6653, ext. 146/(877)797-2227 or tsmith@scbar.org for additional information.
 
Items Needed: backpacks, spiral bound notebooks, loose leaf paper, composition notebooks, binders, pocket folders, scissors, rulers, compass, protractors, dividers, mechanical pencils, colored pencils, #2 pencils, highlighters, dry erase markers, crayons, 3x5 index cards, post-it notes, book covers, dictionaries and large boxes of Kleenex.
 
Collection Sites: 3rd Circuit: Lee Erter Wilson James Holler & Smith, LLC, 126 N. Main St., Sumter; 5th Circuit: Bar Building, 950 Taylor St., 3rd Floor, Columbia; 6th Circuit: Law Firm of Koon & Cook, 229 S. Congress St., Winnsboro; 9th Circuit: The Spann-Wilder Law Firm, LLC, 2131 Dorchester Rd., N. Charleston; 10th Circuit: Solicitor’s Office, 2nd Floor, Anderson County Courthouse, 100 S. Main St., Anderson; 11th Circuit: Sherpy & Jones, PA, 921 Corley Mill Rd., Lexington; 12th Circuit: Jebaily Law Firm, PA, 291 W. Evans St., Florence; 13th Circuit: Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP, 104 S. Main St., Greenville; Gallivan, White & Boyd, One Liberty Square, 55 Beattie Place, Ste. 1200, Greenville; 14th Circuit: Finger & Fraser, PA, 35 Hospital Center Commons, Ste. 200, Hilton Head Island, and Vaux & Marscher, PA, 1251 May River Rd., Bluffton; Vaux & Marscher, PA, 16 William Pope Dr., Ste. 204, Okatie

Carolina v. Clemson Pep Rally planned in support of Children's Chance
Does your blood runneth garnet or orange? No matter where your loyalties lie, please join the Young Lawyers Division for pre-game festivities prior to the Carolina v. Clemson game on November 29 in Clemson. Start time for the event will depend on kickoff, which has not been determined. Join your fellow YLDers and future YLDers for food, beverages, networking and pre-game rabble rousing. This tailgate will be located in the atrium of Littlejohn Coliseum, a central spot for all your game-day activities. 
 
Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door and include food and beverages as well as tailgate entertainment, including cable TV and pre-game music. A silent auction of a one-month free gym membership, autographed footballs, t-shirts and gear from both teams will also be held. To purchase tickets, contact Tara Smith at (803) 799-6653, ext. 146, toll free at (877) 797-2227 or tsmith@scbar.org.
 
Additional donations will be accepted prior to and at the tailgate. Collection of the proceeds will be held in rivalry fashion to determine which team’s fans are more supportive. All proceeds will benefit Children’s Chance, an organization established to raise money to fund a variety of programs to meet the financial, emotional and psychological needs of pediatric cancer patients and their families. If you are interested in making a monetary donation directly to the organization, please make checks payable to Children’s Chance and mail to 609 Sims Ave., 2nd Floor, Columbia, SC 29205 or visit www.childrenschance.org. Please note in the memo portion YLD. Children’s Chance is a 501c(3) and will provide tax receipts upon request.
 
Please come out November 29 to support this great charity and enjoy some football and networking with fellow and future young lawyers. We look forward to seeing you in November! Click the links below to access area hotels:
Comfort Inn | Days Inn | Hampton Inn | Ramada Inn and Conference Center | Sleep Inn

Networking and CLE event
On August 28, a special pre-game networking and continuing education event for young lawyers, young certified public accountants and young insurance professionals will be held. Later that evening, the USC Gamecocks will take on the NC State Wolfpack (at 8 p.m.) in a home football game televised on ESPN. “Issues in Choice of Entity Formation and Business Accounting” is co-sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division, the S.C. Association of Certified Public Accountants Professional Relations Task Force and the Midlands Chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, in conjunction with the Bar's CLE Division. The program will be held at the Capital City Club in Columbia and has been approved for 4.5 hours of MCLE credit and 5.5 hours of CPE credit. The cost of the program is $135 and includes lunch and parking fees. A brochure is available detailing the seminar agenda and faculty and includes registration information. If you have questions regarding this program, please contact the CLE Division at (803) 771-0333 or (800) 768-7787.
  
Justice Jam raises funds for Pro Bono Program
On April 26, approximately 250 Bar members and members of the public kicked off Community Law Week with musical gusto. The talented musicians of the Ron Dunbar Band, The Reprieves, Los Bastardos, Sugar Daddy and The Joe Good Band played into the wee hours of Sunday morning, ending with a crowd-pleasing rendition of "Knocking on Heaven's Door." Click here to view photos from the event.

Cinderella Project
The Cinderella Project was held in March and was a huge success statewide. More than 60 girls attended the Aiken boutique, 171 attended the Columbia boutique and 78 attended the Greenville boutique. Girls also had the opportunity to enter drawings for hair styling, makeup, lotion, jewelry, etc. Lines formed outside the doors prior to the opening of several of the boutiques! The project was also held in Beaufort, Charleston and Greenwood. Thanks to all of the volunteers who made these events possible. Click here to view 2008 Cinderella press coverage. Click here to view a slideshow.

Forum available
The Young Lawyers Division has established a forum, available for your use. You may access the forum at http://forum.scbar.org/yld.  Please feel free to use it to post information relating to your practice area, ask questions and respond to postings by others.

ABA/YLD Conference Dates
 ABA YLD Fall Conference
October 2-4, 2008
San Diego, CA 

ABA YLD Midyear Meeting
February 12-14, 2009
Boston, MA
 
ABA YLD Spring Conference
May 14-16, 2009
New Orleans, LA
 
ABA YLD Annual Meeting
July 30-August 1, 2009
Chicago, IL