A Message from the President

• Citation: Vol. 37 No. 3
• Year: 2025

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Vol. 37 Issue 3 Pg. 6

South Carolina Lawyer

December, 2025

Once a Bar President, Always a Tiger (or Gamecock, or Terrier, or...)

BY CHRIS KOON

It's college football season! I'm supposed to be writing this column about the Bar. but who can think about the legal profession when conference games are in full swing?

My blood runs orange, and recently someone asked me if I was the first Clemson graduate to serve as president of our state's bar. I scoffed at the notion. Certainly, my alma mater has produced numerous Bar leaders. Right? After all, Clemson is where the Blue Ridge yawns its greatness.

So, I looked. And to my considerable surprise, I couldn't find any other Clemson presidents since the modern Bar's creation in 1975. We're going to work on that, but it also got me thinking—what undergraduate schools have produced the most Bar leaders?

The clear leader, by far, is the University of South Carolina, which has produced a whopping 14 Bar presidents. I have to reluctantly tip my hat. That will be a tough lead for any other college to overcome. Dawn Staley-esque. And it's really no surprise given the school's long history of dedication to our state's legal profession. So stand proud, Gamecocks. You've earned it.

Wofford is in second place with six presidents. Again, this probably should not come as a big surprise. Wofford has served as the incubator for many of our state's most outstanding legal minds. I believe that at one point, four of the five justices of our highest court were Wofford Terriers. Our Bar owes a huge debt to Wofford for producing so many great lawyers.

Next is The Citadel, another venerable South Carolina institution. The Citadel has produced 4 Bar presidents. These Bulldogs are trained to be leaders, and it shows across our profession. The Bar has been well-served by the state's military institution.

I was a little surprised to find that in fourth place is the University of Virginia, which most recently produced Bar president Hagood Tighe. I suppose we owe a debt of gratitude to Thomas Jefferson for sending us so many great Wahoos. Be proud, UVA!

Five colleges have produced two Bar presidents each: College of Charleston. Davidson, North Carolina, Sewanee, and Washington &Lee. I know many, many great lawyers in South Carolina who have matriculated from these fine schools, so I didn't feel too bad about my Tigers trailing them. Our Bar's outstanding executive director is also a great representative of Washington &Lee.

Finally, 14 undergraduate universities have produced one Bar president each. They include Benedict. Duke, Florida State, Georgia, Kansas State, Maiy Baldwin, Ole Miss, Princeton, Rhodes College, Wake Forest, Western New England College, Winthrop, and Yale. And now, at last, you can add Clemson to that list.

So that's where the score currently stands. But as Dabo often says, the halftime score doesn't matter. And there's always next season. If you don't see your alma mater listed above, please get involved with the Bar. We need you. Our profession needs you. And your school needs you to help it represent. That's especially true if your blood happens to run orange. We need to make sure that the Tiger's roar echoes o'er the mountain height.

Regardless of where you hail from, thank you for being a South Carolina lawyer. The legal family in our state is a special one, and we're blessed to serve alongside you. Now please take a break from the practice of law, and go enjoy some college football!

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