Senion Lawyers Davison

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

SENIOR LAWYERS DAVISON

Vol. 37 Issue 3 Pg. 12

South Carolina Lawyer

December, 2025

BY DON WILDMAN, SLD PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR

25 Years of Nifty Fifty

The S.C. Bar Senior Lawyers Division (SLD) and the USC Joseph F. Rice School of Law hosted the 25^th annual Nifty-Fifty celebration on September 5. SLD President Barbara P. Olianesian gave an overview of the event history, and SC Bar President Chris Koon and Dean William Hubbard also welcomed the attendees.

The tradition of distinguished guest speakers was upheld before the large crowd by The Honorable William "Bill" B. Traxler. Jr. who spoke eloquently and humorously of his legal experiences as a young attorney working for this father in Greenville. Thereafter, stories shifted to his career as he progressed from a solicitor to state court judge, to the U.S.

District Court, and finally to the federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. After serving nine years as Chief Judge, he has enjoyed senior status since 2018. Judge Traxler noted in jest that he is now simply a "has been" which resulted, he stated, in a reduced workload and "more time to do what his wife tells him."

Judge Traxler shared anecdotes from his experiences including lawyering before Circuit Judge Frank Epps, a beloved Judge who never met a stranger, and who often gave defendants salutary lessons in life from the bench encouraging them to better themselves. Judge Epps had no hesitation in "helping young lawyers" in the courtroom with great success.

In 2000, the SLD created the Nifty Fifty event to honor those who were admitted by our Supreme Court to practice law in S.C. for 50 years. In 2023, the USC Joseph F. Rice School of Law joined the SLD in honoring USC law graduates of fifty years as well. This year 295 lawyers were eligible for recognition. 10 of whom were judges.

SLD Senior Symposium on Succession Planning

The weekend of September 12-14 marked the 2025 Senior Symposium held at The George, an elegant waterfront boutique hotel in historic Georgetown.

The program focused on succession planning—when to plan, how to plan, and what happens if you don't plan. Speakers included Doug Brown, J.D., an executive coach for over 10 years with Summit Success International; Emma T. Dean, Executive Director of the S.C. Bar; and Beth Padgett, Director of the S.C. Bar Lawyers Helping Lawyers program.

The participants truly enjoyed themselves and learned valuable information customized through discussions to their special practice needs.

If you would like the Senior Symposium to be held again, please let our SLD staff liaison Tara Caine (tcaine@ scbar.org) know of your interest and any suggestions you may have. T