Senior Lawyers Division

• Citation: Vol. 36-6
• Year: 2025

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SENIOR LAWYERS DIVISION

No. Vol. 36 Issue 6 Pg. 29

South Carolina Lawyer

May, 2025

Senior Lawyers Division Updates

BY CATHERINE H. KENNEDY, SLD PRESIDENT

The Senior Lawyers Division has been busy this year. At the Bar convention in January, we recognized the 2024 Hon. J. Mark Hayes, II Law Day Essay Contest winner Yohnah Ray, a 10^th grader from Landrum High with the essay "The Vital Role of the Rule of Law" based on the 2024 Law Day theme "Voices of Democracy." Yohnah received $1,000 from the Senior Lawyers Division, a certificate and a medal from the ABA. The 2025 theme is "The Constitution's Promise: Out of Many, One." If you know any high schoolers (or English or social studies teachers) in our state, encourage them to participate. In addition to the prize for the overall winner, each grade level winner receives $500!

We have planned two trips for senior lawyers to Greece and the Greek Isles. The first trip, May 17 -27, filled up within eight hours! Consequently, our special projects chair Nancy Layman scheduled a second trip from October 31 - November 11. This trip is identical to the first, but with an additional night's stay in Athens. Senior lawyers (60+ years) and their companion are invited to travel with us to the "cradle of civilization" and "birthplace of democracy," and enjoy time with other seasoned professionals after our many years of practicing law. Activities are moderately-paced with a reasonable amount of walking and require an average level of physical fitness. For more information, visit the Senior Lawyers Division under "My Communities" of SC Bar Connect on the website. Deadline to register is July 3.

We are continuing our efforts to encourage counties to provide assistance in the courtrooms for those who are hearing impaired. Soon we will have a listing of where each county stands, which will allow you to engage with your local elected officials to continue this effort.

Lunch &Learn sessions are currently being scheduled. We have lined up speakers on "The ABC(&D)s of Medicare;" "Social Security Options;" "Satisfaction After Retirement;" and "Charitable Planning and Retirement Distributions." Contact SLD Membership Chair David Cantrell (dcantrel-latty@aol.com) to let him know what additional topics interest you, or if you would like to speak on a topic you believe would be of interest to senior lawyers. We will do our best to schedule speakers in your area.

The Nifty Fifty celebration, sponsored by the Senior Lawyers Division and the USC Joseph F. Rice School of Law, will be held on September 5. This is a lovely event honoring those who have been admitted to the Bar for fifty years and members of the USC Class of 1975. If this includes you, look for an invitation in the next few months. Register to reconnect with your classmates!

Our big news is we have planned a conference September 12 - 14. Join us for the expanded Senior Symposium, an annual event designed specifically for members of the Senior Lawyers Division. This year we will focus on succession planning — how to plan and what happens if you don't. The conference will be held at The George, a lovely boutique hotel in Georgetown. We will start with a seminar on Friday afternoon, then have time for socialization with a reception and dinner Friday night included in your registration fee. Saturday morning breakfast is followed by seminars. Enjoy lunch on your own before your choice of Saturday afternoon activities. Saturday evening, we are planning a reception with dinner on your own at local restaurants of your choice. A modest seminar and guest fee (both yet to be determined) will cover the speakers, Friday reception and dinner and Saturday breakfast and evening reception. A special room rate of $259 per night has been arranged, but because The George is a boutique hotel, spaces are limited. Make your reservations soon!

As you can see, the Senior Lawyers Division is quite active. If you would like to become involved, do let us know: ckennedy@turnerpadget.com or tara.caine@scbar.org. We are always looking for volunteers to expand our efforts!