May 28, 2024, Carol J.G. Ward
Law school alumnus Joe Rice’s work ethic and tenacity sets an example for representing clients, while colleagues and staff say his commitment to inclusion and mentoring is a model for empowering employees.
May 01, 2024, Laura Morris
The Atlantic hurricane season officially begins June 1. Researchers at the University of South Carolina are available to discuss multiple aspects of the 2024 hurricane season, including preparation and communication, environmental impact and historical perspectives.
April 18, 2024, Communications and Marketing
Attorney, higher education advocate and University of South Carolina trustee Miles Loadholt passed away April 17 at the age of 81.
April 03, 2024, Gregory Hardy
University of South Carolina researchers explore how artificial intelligence can be used for advancements in health care, education, manufacturing, energy, disaster management and transportation. They are also helping shape and inform the ethics and policies surrounding these emergent solutions.
March 06, 2024, Page Ivey
Helping courts and regulatory bodies determine who has a right to the coastline is the focus of University of South Carolina law professor Josh Eagle’s scholarly work. His goal is to get courts to recognize greater public rights and to expand access to beaches.
March 06, 2024, Collyn Taylor
Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk is getting the best of both worlds balancing law school while playing Division I men's basketball.
February 14, 2024, Seth W. Stoughton and Caroline McAtee
Law professor Seth Stoughton and law student Carolina McAtee write for the conversation about whether it's legal to seize a criminal without being a police officer.
January 25, 2024, Carol J.G. Ward
Former South Carolina Gov. David Beasley will join the faculty of the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law on March 1.
January 17, 2024, Craig Brandhorst
Attorney Joe Rice is one of the most respected plaintiff’s attorneys in the country. The cofounder of the Charleston-based Motley Rice law firm has secured hundreds of billions of dollars for clients, taking on Goliath-sized opponents like Big Tobacco and the financiers of 9/11.
November 10, 2023, Peggy Binette
The University of South Carolina’s School of Law has a new name thanks to the generosity and vision of well-known alumnus and longtime benefactor, plaintiffs’ trial lawyer Joe Rice. The official name, the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law, was announced Friday (Nov. 10) during a signage unveiling ceremony at the law school building at the corner of Bull and Senate streets.
November 08, 2023, Craig Brandhorst
Seth Rose, ’03, was a first team All-American in men’s tennis, and he paid his alma mater back by helping finance two courts on campus But Rose’s love for the Gamecocks extends beyond tennis. The 2014 Gamecock Athletics Hall of Fame inductee is also a huge Gamecock football fan, and his philanthropy reflects it.
October 11, 2023, Emily Prillaman
If you've got big plans for your Fall Break this week, you can thank alumnus Jim Franklin, the third African American student body president at USC, who says the mid-semester break was the “one wish” of his administration after he was elected in 1988.
September 06, 2023, Dan Cook
From both sides of the political spectrum, the social space for spirited dialogue and debate has been steadily shrinking for years. A new group on campus hopes to expand the conversation.
August 11, 2023, Megan Sexton
Walk through the doors at All Good Books, a thriving bookstore in the heart of Five Points, and you’ll see neat shelves filled with classics and new releases, a counter for coffee, beer and wine and – perhaps most important of all — a welcoming vibe.
August 10, 2023, Megan Sexton
As vice president and legal counsel at Belk in Charlotte, School of Law alumna Alysja Carlisle reviews and drafts commercial contracts, manages projects and addresses a wide range of general corporate, privacy and intellectual property issues. She also gives her time and talents to organizations around the region and her alma mater.
August 01, 2023, Alexis Watts
Kevin Brown brings a drive for justice to his new role at the University of South Carolina as the first Mitchell Willoughby Distinguished Professor of Advocacy and Public Justice. He plans to build on his 35 years of research in the areas of race, law and education.
June 09, 2023, Chris Horn
In a first-ever analysis of deaths in South Carolina prisons, jails and youth detention centers, USC School of Law assistant professor Madalyn Wasilczuk and her students have compiled a report that aims to increase transparency in corrections facilities across the Palmetto State.
June 02, 2023, Page Ivey
Steve Benjamin, former mayor of Columbia and two-time graduate of USC, is director of the Office of Public Engagement and a senior adviser to the president and the White House. Benjamin sat down with USC Today earlier this year to discuss the job and how his experiences as a political science major and law school student prepared him for his 12 years as Columbia mayor and for his new role in the White House.
April 19, 2023, Laura Kammerer
William C. Hubbard, dean of the School of Law, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences which is a prestigious fellowship of scholars and leaders. Distinguished members include Benjamin Franklin and Colin Powell, and current members include more than 250 Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners.
April 10, 2023, Andersen Cook
From a young age, University of South Carolina law professor Bryant Walker Smith tested the limits around him; now, he’s one of the world’s leading experts in autonomous vehicle law, an emerging field where the boundaries are being set.
March 21, 2023, Cassandra Jones Havard
Professor of law Cassandra Jones Havard writes for The Conversation on the risks of the government saving failing banks.
March 21, 2023, Page Ivey
DeAndrea Gist Benjamin, ’97 law, is only the second woman of color to serve on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Benjamin sat down with USC Today after her recent confirmation to the federal bench to talk about life choices and how her experiences in law school have guided her career.
March 14, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
As a tribute to the Black alumnae featured in the student-produced documentary The Backbone, USC’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion installed 18 personalized bricks on the Horseshoe. The honorees' stories span seven decades of university history.
March 13, 2023, Derek W. Black
Constitutional law expert and professor of law Derek W. Black writes for The Conversation on the limitations of presidential student loan forgiveness.
February 27, 2023, Dan Cook
Former Columbia mayor Steve Benjamin, a two-time alumnus of the University of South Carolina, has been named as a senior advisor to the White House and director of the Office of Public Engagement.
February 10, 2023, Communications and Marketing
The Veterans Legal Clinic provides free legal services to low-income veterans living in South Carolina who are facing issues with credit and related financial matters, housing, government benefits and family law. It was established in 2018 by a grant from the South Carolina Bar Foundation. Thanks to continued support from Boeing — $450,000 to date — the clinic has been able to serve more than 70 veterans since opening.
February 09, 2023, Dan Cook
The U.S. Senate voted 53-44 to confirm DeAndrea G. Benjamin to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Benjamin is a 1997 alumna of USC’s School of Law.
February 09, 2023, Chris Horn
Peden McLeod, a 1967 graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law believed in public service. Founder, chairman and CEO of the Bank of Walterboro as well as a state legislator, McLeod worked tirelessly to establish and support the USC Salkehatchie campus. It’s fitting, then, that the only building named for an individual on the campus in Walterboro honors McLeod: the Peden McLeod Library, which was dedicated in 1998.
February 06, 2023, Ian T. Adams and Seth W. Stoughton
Assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice Ian T. Adams and professor of law Seth W. Stoughton write for The Conversation on the issues surrounding specialized police units.
January 12, 2023, Megan Sexton
From policy-making surrounding cleaner energy technologies to researching better ways to make and store electricity to studying advanced nuclear materials for interplanetary space travel, University of South Carolina researchers are advancing the transition to a changing energy landscape.
November 16, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
School of Law alumna J. Michelle Childs was appointed circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit this summer. Carolinian sat down with her to discuss her time at USC and her career on the bench.
July 14, 2022, Page Ivey
Law professor Emily Suski’s research focuses on children and their health and well-being. She takes a fresh look at Title IX protections for children in the K-12 school environment as well as creating a legal clinic to help when children’s health is put at risk by social factors.
May 09, 2022, Rebekah Friedman
A portrait of I.S. Leevy Johnson, ’68 law, was unveiled Monday at the School of Law in recognition of the trailblazing alumnus’ legal, business and political achievements.
April 25, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
A lot happens over the course of an academic year, and there’s absolutely no way to highlight everything. So, no, don’t think of this as a Best Of list. This is merely a smattering of the achievements and memorable moments that defined 2021-22, a small taste of the year that was. Trust us, there’s plenty more where this came from — and plenty more to come.
April 25, 2022, Carol J.G. Ward
Alumna Lorri Unumb's journey to becoming an advocate for families affected by autism began when she and her husband Dan noticed their son Ryan wasn’t behaving and developing like other children. Ryan was diagnosed with autism shortly before his second birthday. Today, Unumb is internationally known for her advocacy.
April 19, 2022, Derek W. Black and Axton Crolley
The Brown v. Board of Education decision framed racial segregation as the cause of educational inequality. Brown's focus on physical segregation inadvertently left important and less obvious aspects of local funding inequality unchecked. This still drives underfunding in predominantly poor and minority schools. Law professor Derek W. Black and law fellow Axton Crolley write for The Conversation on the historical connection between segregation and states' reliance on local school funding.
March 28, 2022, Megan Sexton
The University of South Carolina’s international business program retained its spot as the best in the country, while the School of Medicine Columbia remained the best school for graduates practicing in underserved areas, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate School rankings.
March 04, 2022
The University of South Carolina has a number of faculty members who are available to offer their expertise on environmental protection, climate action, biodiversity and conservation.
February 07, 2022, Chris Horn
Born to sharecroppers in 1944 in Yemassee, S.C., Edna Smith Primus was among the first Black graduates from the University of South Carolina in 1966. She became the first Black woman enrolled at the School of Law.
January 26, 2022, Carol J.G. Ward
The professional experience and expertise of two University of South Carolina alumnae and a law professor have led to their selection for roles in federal agencies and courts.
January 10, 2022, Page Ivey
Two faculty members and a student have been recognized for their social justice efforts on campus and in the larger community as 2022 Social Justice Award winners.
December 06, 2021, Carol J.G. Ward
Glynnis Hagins, a third-year law student at UofSC, has received a Skadden Fellowship that will allow her to pursue her passions of law, education and public interest. She is one of 28 Skadden Fellowship recipients for 2022 and the first UofSC law student to receive the prestigious award, one of the more competitive in the country.
November 15, 2021, Page Ivey
New law professor Etienne Toussaint came to the legal profession after starting out as an engineer, building bridges. After working internationally with Engineers Without Borders, he saw how a legal career would let him help lift those living in extreme poverty in the U.S. and around the world.
November 11, 2021, Carol J.G. Ward
When Navy veteran Brooks Herring needed help seeking custody of his son, he turned to the Veterans Legal Clinic at the University of South Carolina’s School of Law.
October 18, 2021, Craig Brandhorst
Law professor Thomas Crocker specializes in constitutional law, criminal procedure, free speech and democracy, national security and the Constitution. His new book, "Overcoming Necessity: Emergency, Constraint, and the Meanings of American Constitutionalism" (Yale University Press) is an analysis of how the concept of necessity, in conflict with constitutional commitments, creates dynamic challenges to constitutional governance, especially during times of emergency.
September 14, 2021, Claire Raj
Law professor Claire Raj, who specializes in special education law, offers answers in The Conversation to some questions parents might have about mask mandate bans and students with disabilities.
July 23, 2021, Page Ivey
University of South Carolina law professor, and now interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Joel Samuels works to preserve the underlying principle that holds societies together: the rule of law.
June 29, 2021, Chris Horn
It’s been a long time coming, but the Children’s Law Center finally has a permanent home, complete with a mock court room and a mock crime scene apartment for forensic training purposes. Those two assets are vital to the center’s mission of providing training to more than 10,000 professionals in justice, law enforcement and child welfare in South Carolina.
May 18, 2021, Page Ivey
Shelley Welton wanted no part of the law after watching her mother work tirelessly in children’s law and come up against structural issues that day-to-day lawyering couldn’t fix. But after getting a master’s degree in environmental policy work, she realized that she needed a better understanding of the law to make progress.
April 23, 2021, Craig Brandhorst
Former South Carolina Gov. David Beasley, a two-time UofSC graduate, was at a loss for words when he learned the international organization he helms won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2020. Beasley has served as the executive director of the World Food Programme since 2017.
April 14, 2021, Benjamin Means
Over 100 companies publicly denounced Georgia’s new restrictive voting law, Major League Baseball went beyond words by moving the 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta to Denver. In The Conversation, law professor Benjamin Means writes about how corporations use their economic power as leverage to get what they want from lawmakers.
April 13, 2021, Joseph A. Seiner
Sexual harassment at work is a very common occurrence for women, regardless of age or income level. Among women who have experienced unwanted sexual advances in the workplace, almost all reported that male harassers usually go unpunished. Law professor Joseph Seiner writes in The Conversation about the unfortunate reality that engaging in this conduct will result in no real consequences.
March 29, 2021, Megan Sexton
The School of Medicine Columbia is the top medical program in the country for graduates who are practicing in areas where there is a shortage of health care professionals, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate School rankings. The rankings also show that UofSC is now home to more than 60 nationally ranked programs.
March 04, 2021, Chris Horn
The steady rise in podcast popularity has produced a bountiful crop of shows for listeners worldwide — 1.75 million and counting — including a growing list of podcasts produced by University of South Carolina faculty, staff and students.
February 09, 2021, Rob Schaller
Long before 2020, four South Carolina Law professors began writing books on topics that would come to dominate national conversations.
January 21, 2021, Ann Eisenberg
Law professor Ann Eisenberg with co-authors Jessica Shoemaker and Lisa Pruitt write in The Conversation about five federal initiatives they say would go a long way toward empowering distressed rural communities to improve their destinies, while also helping bridge the urban/rural divide.
January 03, 2021, Page Ivey
Scarlett Wilson’s passion for justice is so strong that she is willing to open the process in her office to in-depth scrutiny to ferret out racial disparities in criminal prosecution.
December 18, 2020
It’s been a year — but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t plenty to celebrate, recognize and honor at the University of South Carolina in 2020. UofSC rose to each and every challenge this year and raised the bar for the year to come.
December 17, 2020
Lacy Ford is stepping down as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and will return to research and teaching in the 2021 spring semester. Professor Joel Samuels, interim vice provost for interdisciplinary studies and director of the Rule of Law Collaborative, will serve as interim dean starting Jan. 1.
October 13, 2020, Thom Harman
The University of South Carolina will host its first ever virtual TEDxUofSC event Wednesday, Oct. 21. Guided by TED’s goal of sharing “ideas worth spreading,” TEDxUofSC 2020 will be broadcast from the Columbia campus via Facebook Live from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
October 09, 2020
An international food program run by University of South Carolina alumnus David Beasley won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for its efforts to combat hunger in regions facing conflict and hardship and at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has driven millions more people to the brink of starvation.
September 28, 2020, Craig Brandhorst
Instead of contemplating retirement, longtime Columbia attorney, Board and Trustees member and past president of the American Bar Association William Hubbard is focused on his new tenure as dean of his alma mater’s School of Law.
September 24, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward
University of South Carolina law students Jasmine Caruthers and Anna Catherine Parham say their research on no-knock warrants to assist the lawyers representing Breonna Taylor’s family in a wrongful death lawsuit was enlightening and emotional.
August 27, 2020, Page Ivey
As the era of the civil rights movement gave way to the 1970s, the women’s movement took up a new banner that went beyond voting rights — the Equal Rights Amendment.
August 20, 2020, Page Ivey
South Carolina’s few but dedicated suffragists were no doubt disappointed that the state was not among the first 36 to ratify the 19th amendment, but they almost immediately set about the business of turning their suffrage organizations into education and advocacy groups. In the process, these bold women kicked off the era of “firsts.”
June 26, 2020, Jeff Stensland
William Hubbard, a prominent South Carolina attorney and former president of the American Bar Association, has been named the new dean of the University of South Carolina’s School of Law, the state’s only public law school. He will officially begin his duties on Aug. 1.
May 29, 2020, Seth Stoughton
The killing of an unarmed black jogger by white residents is shocking, but it should come as no surprise. Law professor Seth Stoughton writes for The Conversation that if anything, Ahmaud Arbery’s death in Georgia on Feb. 23 was predictable: the latest tragic example of the fatal consequences that can occur when private citizens seek to take the law into their own hands.
May 29, 2020, Derek Black
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES Act, designated $13.5 billion for public schools that was supposed to be distributed based on the number of low-income students enrolled in a district. Law professor Derek Black writes for The Conversation that a new directive from the U.S. Department of Education, which tells districts to share far more of the money than expected private and religious school students, contradicts the CARES Act.
April 27, 2020, Craig Brandhorst
A half century ago, against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and seismic shifts in American culture, the campus of the University of South Carolina became a battleground — between students and the administration, between a young generation and the establishment, between radically different worldviews. But the dramatic events of that spring, which came to be known as The Months of May, weren’t strictly destructive. The lessons of that era also changed lives and changed the university itself.
April 14, 2020, Marcia Zug
As millions of people around the world practice social distancing and self-quarantine, they are separating themselves from everyone but their immediate family members. However, for divorced or separated parents who share custody of their children, the definition of “immediate family” isn’t obvious. Law professor Marcia Zug writes for The Conversation on family law in the age of the coronavirus.
March 19, 2020, Megan Sexton
Joseph Seiner, a law professor who specializes in labor and employment law, explains how the coronavirus is affecting workplaces and employees.
March 17, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward
The University of South Carolina’s Office of Communications and Public Affairs has compiled a list of faculty experts who can discuss topics relevant to the coronavirus pandemic.
March 16, 2020, Page Ivey
The University of South Carolina continues to shine with 54 unique nationally ranked graduate programs — nine in the top 25 — in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools list released Tuesday (March 17).
January 22, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward
In the two years the University of South Carolina has been working with The Conversation, more than 40 faculty members have contributed 72 articles on a variety of topics related to their research and expertise.
January 15, 2020, Rob Schaller
A groundbreaking law course tasks students with crafting an original code of laws for the Catawba Indians, the only federally recognized tribe in South Carolina.
January 05, 2020, Jeff Stensland
University of South Carolina President Bob Caslen announced two new hires Monday; new chief of staff Col. Mark Bieger, and James Smith, who will serve as interim special assistant to the president.
December 02, 2019, Chris Horn
Not many professors inspire lofty tribute. Some we forget and others are scarcely remembered. James Cutsinger, a religious studies professor who taught at the university for 37 years, earned the respect and admiration of students for decades while helping them to achieve the most noble of goals: the ability to think.
October 22, 2019, Communications and Public Affairs staff
From growth and innovation on campus to an increasingly bustling city life, the university and the city are thriving together in a symbiotic relationship. In many cases, it’s South Carolina alumni themselves who are leading change in the city as entrepreneurs and community leaders.
September 09, 2019, Kathryn McPhail
For most students, the path to law school doesn’t include a stop in a fourth grade classroom. Well, at least not as the teacher of the class. But law student Brandon Adams says his experience as a teacher will help him become a better attorney, and he plans to combine his love of teaching and the law.
August 05, 2019, Craig Brandhorst and Megan Sexton
You don’t need a degree from the University of South Carolina to get elected mayor in the Palmetto State, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. This summer, Carolinian magazine traveled the state, from the Lowcountry to the Upstate, from the Midlands to the Pee Dee, interviewing South Carolina alumni who hold the esteemed office.
April 24, 2019, Rob Schaller
The Justin A. Thornton Endowed Scholarship Fund in the School of Law was established in 2015, and it’s now grown dramatically larger, thanks to the ongoing generosity of its founder, Justin Thornton, law, ’77, of McLean, Virginia.
April 11, 2019, Chris Horn
As political leaders pay final respects this week to former U.S. Sen. Ernest “Fritz” Hollings, who died April 6 at age 97, the University of South Carolina community has much to reflect on in its myriad connections with one of the state’s most beloved public servants.
April 03, 2019, Chris Horn
When Wendy Rothermel’s son Cade was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, her family life was upside down, punctuated by his frequent temper tantrums. But when the family connected with Project HOPE and Cade’s therapy began, positive changes followed. The nonprofit foundation, launched by two university alumnae, is bringing hope to families across the state.
March 22, 2019, Ross Stevens
Students and alumni will compete for $51,000 in startup prize money in The Proving Ground, the university's annual business plan competition March 28 at the Darla Moore School of Business.
March 19, 2019, Rob Schaller
South Carolina Law students work with Uber and Virgin Hyperloop One to help shape the future of transportation.
February 07, 2019, Dana Woodward
In the one-man production, “A Passion for Justice: An Encounter with Clarence Darrow,” actor Paul Morella portrays a selection of Darrow’s most dynamic arguments. The show takes place Feb. 11 at the Karen J. Williams Courtroom in the UofSC School of Law.
January 22, 2019, Megan Sexton
Criminal justice research spans multiple programs and colleges at the University of South Carolina. And the work is taking place a few miles from campus and a world away in Uganda.
December 07, 2018, Diane Parham
Year after year, the number of lives transformed by the University of South Carolina’s Gamecock Guarantee program keeps growing. But numbers alone don’t tell the full story.
November 06, 2018, Page Ivey
Each fall, thousands of new students come to USC from out of state, and a lot of them later make a permanent home here, including Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin.
July 31, 2018, Megan Sexton
The lineup of speakers is set for the inaugural TEDxUofSC conference Oct. 9 at the University of South Carolina Alumni Center.
January 25, 2018, Chris Horn
Insects are regularly consumed by an estimated 2 billion people, a practice that has its roots in culture and sometimes necessity. Law professor Marie Boyd studies the regulation of insects as food as part of her research on the Food and Drug Administration. She says insect-based food has a long way to go, both from a cultural and regulatory standpoint, in the U.S.
January 11, 2018, Dana Woodward
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, and the University of South Carolina’s Black Law Students Association intends to mark the occasion with a film screening of "Rikers: An American Jail" and a community forum.
December 07, 2017, Megan Sexton
Thanks to a $5 million gift to the university from an anonymous donor, the country’s oldest freestanding academic library is getting a needed renovation. Work is well underway at the South Caroliniana, with all of the materials moved to the Thomas Cooper Library and other sites around campus.
November 28, 2017, Chris Horn
John Simmons finished his law degree at Carolina 30 years before the opening of the School of Law’s new building. His days as a walk-on for the men’s baseball team were at the now defunct Sarge Frye Field, long before Founders Stadium was built. But the passage of time and campus construction haven’t diminished Simmons’ ties to the university.
November 01, 2017, Craig Brandhorst
Law professor Bryant Walker Smith explores the nexus of law, society and emerging technologies — and how human factors fit into a complex equation.
October 03, 2017, Megan Sexton
Public policy conversations on climate change, coastal development and renewable energy are happening more and more in University of South Carolina School of Law classrooms, led by three Carolina law professors who focus on environmental law.
September 19, 2017, Chris Horn
The School of Law is launching two new legal clinics this academic year. A medicolegal clinic will team law students with medical students, medical residents and physicians to improve health outcomes for pediatric patients, while a domestic violence clinic will focus on protection, advocacy and community education.
September 06, 2017, Craig Brandhorst
The university’s new law school building was designed with today’s law student in mind but with the state’s rich legal heritage on full display.
June 02, 2017, Chris Horn
When the School of Law moves out of the well-worn Law Center on South Main for a spacious new home on Gervais Street, there will be high-fives all around. But this isn’t the first time in the law school’s 150-year history that it has traded old for new.