Advocate's Journal
Personal Identifying Information is Exempt from FOIA
The South Carolina Court of Appeals reversed a trial court decision that ordered the City of Columbia to disclose the home addresses, personal telephone numbers, and personal email addresses for applicants who applied for the position of city manager. Plaintiff sent the City a Freedom of Information Act request for all materials relating to the […]
Advocate's Journal
An Email Constitutes Written Notice For Purposes of Rule 203(b)(1), SCACR
In Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Fallon Properties South Carolina, LLC, No. 2015-000157 (S.C. App. Aug. 26, 2015) (Shearouse Adv. Sh. No. 33), the South Carolina Court of Appeals found that an email from a court with the order on appeal as an attachment constitutes written notice of entry of the order under Rule 203(b)(1) […]
ELECT Blog Archives
The Ballot Selfie
Earlier this month, a federal court in New Hampshire struck down a 2014 enacted New Hampshire law that prohibited voters from taking and disclosing photographs of their completed ballots to let others know how they voted. The law was challenged on the grounds it infringed upon the plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights. The Judge agreed and […]
Accolades • Firm News
10 Robinson McFadden attorneys named to Best Lawyers
Robinson McFadden lawyers were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2016. Lawyers on the Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in […]
Firm News
The Intersection of Pop Culture and Legal Malpractice
By Will Jordan It isn’t often that pop culture and the world of legal malpractice intersect. Naturally, when they do, we can’t help but blog about it. “Real Housewife of New Jersey” Teresa Giudice, who is currently serving a fifteen-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to fraud charges relating to her bankruptcy filing, is suing […]
Accolades • Firm News
8 from Sowell Gray included in 2016 Best Lawyers in America, including 2 Lawyers of the Year
COLUMBIA, SC – Two members of Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte, LLC, Betsy Gray and Becky Laffitte have been honored as 2016 Lawyers of the Year while six of their colleagues at the firm were also recognized in the 2016 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. The national publication places the Sowell Gray members […]
ELECT Blog Archives
I Learned Something Today
Earlier this week, my “Word for the Day” was psephology. Dictionary.com frequently posts a word in its Word for the Day, and this is one that I am not familiar. However, psephology is a word that I figured I might have seen somewhere, but I cannot make such a statement with certainty. It is a […]
Accolades • Firm News
Cal Watson invited to join the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance
Sowell Gray Stepp & Laffitte, LLC is pleased to announce that Cal Watson has been invited to join the prestigious Claims and Litigation Management Alliance. The CLM is a nonpartisan alliance comprised of thousands of insurance companies, corporations, Corporate Counsel, Litigation and Risk Managers, claims professionals and attorneys. Through education and collaboration the organization’s goals […]
ELECT Blog Archives
The Meaning of “One Person, One Vote” to be Decided by the Supreme Court (Finally)
Attached is an interesting blog post by Lyle Denniston[1] about two redistricting cases the United States Supreme Court will hear in its Fall Term.[2] One case, arising out of Texas, will answer what population measure should be used—total population, total citizen voting age, total registered voters in a state—to ensure “one person, one vote” principle […]
ELECT Blog Archives
Where Did All the Voters Go?
Based on a recent report by the U.S. Elections Project,[1] Americans had the lowest voter turnout rate since 1942. Interestingly, the top two reasons given to the U.S. Census Bureau why people did not vote were: (1) too busy, and (2) not interested. Clearly, stopping this trend and engaging more persons to vote in future […]