Legal Education in South Carolina
Law schools, paralegal programs, certifications, bar exam resources, and continuing education in South Carolina.
Law Schools
ABA-accredited JD programs in South Carolina
University of South Carolina — Joseph F. Rice School of Law
South Carolina's only public and oldest law school — one of the nation's oldest. Located in Columbia near the State House and Supreme Court. Features the nation's first all-volunteer Pro Bono Program.
Charleston School of Law
Private law school in historic downtown Charleston — ABA-accredited since 2011. Nationally recognized student-centered culture with 50-hour public service graduation requirement.
Paralegal Programs
Accredited paralegal education and certificate programs
Greenville Technical College — Paralegal Program
The only ABA-approved paralegal program in the Upstate — accredited since 1987. Primarily taught by licensed attorneys with an accelerated one-year track for bachelor's degree holders.
Midlands Technical College — Paralegal Studies
ABA-approved paralegal program with nearly 50 years of educational excellence — serving the Columbia metropolitan area with associate degree and certificate options.
Horry-Georgetown Technical College — Paralegal Studies
ABA-approved AAS in Paralegal Studies in the Myrtle Beach area — preparing students for entry-level paralegal positions in law firms and corporate legal departments.
Trident Technical College — Paralegal
ABA-approved paralegal program in the Charleston metropolitan area — offers associate degree and certificate options for aspiring legal professionals.
Court Reporter & Captioning Programs
Stenography, digital reporting, and real-time captioning training
Horry-Georgetown Technical College — Court Reporting
Digital court reporting program created to address South Carolina's severe court reporter shortage — online, self-paced training covering legal proceedings, depositions, ethics, and digital recording.
University of South Carolina Lancaster — Digital Court Reporter
Online digital court reporter training through USC Lancaster — prepares students for the AAERT certification exam with coursework in legal proceedings and transcription.
South Carolina Court Reporters — Judicial Branch
Official South Carolina Judicial Branch page for court reporters — hiring requirements, credentialing information, and employment opportunities in state courts.
Mediator & ADR Certification
Alternative dispute resolution training and qualified neutral roster
South Carolina Bar — ADR Commission
Houses the Supreme Court's Commission on ADR and Board of Arbitrator & Mediator Certification. Issues and renews circuit and family court mediator certificates — maintains the official mediator roster.
South Carolina Bar — ADR Directory
Searchable directory of certified mediators and arbitrators — all counties have mandatory ADR for civil suits as of January 1, 2016. Requires 40 hours of approved civil mediation training.
Legal Nurse Consulting
Certification programs for RNs providing litigation support
American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants (AALNC)
National professional organization offering the LNCC certification — the only legal nurse consultant credential accredited through ABSNC. Available to RNs nationwide via online programs.
Vickie Milazzo Institute — CLNC Certification
Online 40-hour CLNC Certification Program — the industry standard for legal nurse consulting, with monthly mentoring included for the duration of certification.
Notary Public Certification
How to become a notary public in South Carolina
Bar Admission & Exam
Pathways to becoming a licensed attorney in South Carolina
South Carolina Office of Bar Admissions
Administers bar admission for the Supreme Court of South Carolina. Uses the UBE with a minimum passing score of 266 — requires completion of the Course of Study on South Carolina Law.
South Carolina Bar Admission — Admission to Practice
Detailed admission requirements, UBE score transfer rules, and application information. UBE scores transferable within 3 years — MPRE minimum score of 77 required.
Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
Requirements for licensed South Carolina attorneys
South Carolina Bar — CLE Requirements
Official CLE requirements — attorneys must complete 14 credit hours annually, including 2 ethics credits. Minimum 6 hours must be live, in-person. Compliance period: March 1 through February 28.
South Carolina Commission on CLE
Supreme Court commission overseeing CLE compliance — FAQs on reporting, exemptions, and approved course formats for South Carolina attorneys.
Legal Secretary & Legal Assistant Programs
Certificate and degree programs for legal support professionals
Greenville Technical College — Paralegal Program
ABA-approved program also serving legal assistant career paths — one-year accelerated track available for bachelor's degree holders seeking legal support credentials.
Midlands Technical College — Paralegal Studies
ABA-approved program with certificate and degree options for legal support professionals in the Columbia metro area.
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