New Admittees

Welcome to the South Carolina Bar. We are here for you as one of our more than 17,000 members. Our goal is to enhance how you practice law, facilitate critical connections, and provide top-quality events and education so you can better serve your clients and community. 

Below you will find key information, requirements and information to make your first year as a SC Bar member successful. If you have any questions, please contact Member Services Division at (803) 799-6653 Ext. 171. 

Requirements and Deadlines  

License Fees  

Annual license fees are due on January 1.   Statements are mailed in mid-November. In accordance with Bar Bylaws members are responsible for paying the proper fee by January 1 whether or not they receive a statement.  

People admitted after June 30 are exempt from license fees for the remainder of the calendar year and will be billed for the coming year along with the full membership in November.  

If you are admitted from January 1 through June 30, you must pay one half of the license fee amount for the year of admission.  

Any member who has not paid license fees by January 1 will be administratively suspended from the practice of law by the South Carolina Supreme Court and required to surrender their certificate. 

Keep Your Information Current  

All member contact information is managed by the South Carolina Su­preme Court’s Attorney Information System (AIS). On October 17, 2011, the Court issued an order requiring all Bar members to keep their informa­tion current. The information in the Court’s system is pushed over to the Bar and is considered the official contact information for members.    

In order to pay your license fee, your information must be verified in AIS after the Court resets the AIS verification field on October 15 each year. Members are required to verify their information annually even if no changes have occurred before payments can be processed.  

• To makes changes to your contact information, visit https://www.sccourts.org/ais.  

• Your username is your SC Bar number. If you cannot remember your password, you can use the “forgot password” link.  

• If you have difficulties logging in, contact the South Carolina Judicial De­partment Call Center at 1-855-235-2500. 

Note:  The SC Bar does not have access to the AIS system and cannot assist you with login.    

Continuing Legal Education (CLE)  

All active Bar members must attend at least 14 hours of approved continuing legal education (CLE) courses annually, as required by South Carolina Appellate Court Rule (SCACR) 408. At least two of these hours must be devoted to legal ethics. 
 
Newly admitted members are exempt from CLE requirements during the reporting year in which they are admitted to the South Carolina Bar.  Your first required reporting year begins March 1 after your date of admission. 

Essentials Course 

Before the end of that first reporting year, you must complete an Essentials Series course administered by the South Carolina Bar [unless you meet one of the exemptions found in SCACR Rule 408(a)(3)(a)-(D), b]. For the 2020-21 year only, that requirement can be met by taking an online course. 

CLE Compliance and Deadlines 

The Supreme Court of South Carolina Commission on Continuing Legal Education & Specialization, which accredits all CLE programming in our state, administers and regulates the Mandatory Continuing Legal Educa­tion program. The SC Bar produces and sponsors courses, programs and publications for attorneys and judges, but is not the regulatory body.  
 
The compliance deadline for attorneys and judges to report their yearly MCLE credits is on or before March 1. The CLE reporting year runs from March 1 until the last day of February. For more information, visit the Commission’s page or call (803) 799-5578. 

Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA)  

The South Carolina Supreme Court created the Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program to provide funds for law-related public service projects and programs designed to improve the administration of justice. Attorneys handling client trust funds that are nominal in amount or held for a short time are required to establish IOLTA accounts. Licensed attorneys in South Carolina who do not handle client trust funds are not required to establish an IOLTA account. 

The South Carolina Bar Foundation administers the program. Learn about requirements, get the enrollment form and find a list of participating banks and credit unions that pay interest rates on IOLTA funds above and beyond the court Rule 412’s basic requirements on the SC Bar Foundation’s page. 

Lawyer Mentoring Program

The SC Bar houses and administers the South Carolina Supreme Court’s Lawyer Mentoring Program. (Rule 402, SCACR) The year-long mandatory mentorship program is designed to encourage collaboration between mentors and mentees in developing professional goals, growing networks and engaging in the legal community throughout the state. What better way to get to know the ins and outs of the legal landscape than through the help of a seasoned pro?

Check out the SC Bar’s mentor matching page to enroll, see frequently asked questions and access all the forms you need throughout the program. Note: you must be logged into the SC Bar website to access this page. Contact Program Administrator Kimberly Snipes at mentors@scbar.org with any questions or concerns you may have.

Court Appointments for Indigents

The Supreme Court amended Rule 608, SCACR, relating to the appointment of lawyers for indigents. The Bar is charged with providing the county clerks of court a listing of all eligible active members from which to make these appointments. On the reverse side of your member information sheet, you should have provided the following: County(ies) for Appointment, whether or not you have completed Rule 403, whether or not you are death penalty certified, and whether or not you want to be placed on the civil or criminal appointment list.  If you did not provide and return this information, you will be placed on a list of the Bar's Executive Director's choosing until you provide your selection.

Services

Lawyers Helping Lawyers

Simply put, Lawyers Helping Lawyers is here to help you walk through the tough stages of life. The experienced LHL staff assists lawyers, judges and law students who may be experiencing challenges with substance use disorders, mental health illnesses and/or stress-related issues that affect their professional and personal lives. 

Counselor visit bills can quickly add up but these appointments can be instrumental in recovery. The Lawyers Helping Lawyers program offers all members up to five free counseling sessions per year through CorpCare. These services are strictly confidential and callers remain anonymous. Call 1-(855)-321-4384 at any time to get referred to a counselor in your area or visit the LHL webpage for more information on counseling sessions and other LHL services.

News Tailored for You

Make the most of your membership by staying up to date on all the latest legal news you need to know. Like and follow the SC Bar on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn; and the Young Lawyers Division on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for all things YLD. The weekly eBlast newsletter, distributed to Bar subscribers on Thursdays, includes advance sheet summaries, hiring announcements, upcoming CLEs and member features. Subscribe to the newsletter and view past editions.

In addition to digital media, SC Lawyer, the Bar’s printed magazine, includes timely legal articles as well as updates on news and events and trusted insight from columns like Ethics Watch, The Scrivener, Beyond the Bar and Bar Bytes. SC Lawyer is published six times a year and printed copies are mailed to all Bar members. A digital version is available online. If you are passionate about a legal topic and want to contribute to SC Lawyer, send your proposal to Sarah Justice at sarah.justice@scbar.org.

Get involved

Young Lawyers Division

There are few better ways to get involved with the legal profession as a starry-eyed and bushy-tailed new lawyer than with the Young Lawyers Division. The YLD coordinates various programs across the state designed to serve the public, advance the legal profession, or both. The YLD provides a great opportunity for young lawyers to network with other young lawyers while fulfilling public service goals and improving the image of the profession. Read more and join the Young Lawyers Division.

Sections and Committees

Creating and maintaining meaningful professional connections is important at all stages of your career, but perhaps most crucial when you’re just getting your feet wet. Taking part in a section or committee allows you to meet other attorneys who practice in specific areas and stay connected via newsletters, listservs and CLE events. With 18 sections and over 30 committees to choose from, there is a place for you at the Bar where you can serve the profession, grow your professional network and make friends along the way. Committees and sections are open to new members right away so sign up for a committee or section today!

Volunteer Opportunities

Having the opportunity to shape young minds and to create a strong pipeline for the future of the profession leads many SC Bar members to volunteer with the Law Related Education Division. With multiple programs and in-depth initiatives, there are many volunteer opportunities with LRE. Not only do Middle and High School Mock Trial teams need attorney coaches, but each competition needs attorney volunteers to serve as presiding and scoring judges. Find out more about LRE volunteer opportunities.