HISTORY OF THE
SOUTH CAROLINA DEFENSE TRIAL
ATTORNEYS’ ASSOCIATION

The South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association was formally organized on November 14, 1968. The organization grew out of a series of discussions with insurance and industry representatives about the need for an organized Defense Bar. A local association of defense attorneys was needed to act as a liaison between the Defense Research Institute and local claims managers.

Six attorneys attended the initial meeting and by December 8, 1968, the organization had grown to 75 members. Since that time, the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association has grown to 750 members who practice in multiple areas of Civil Defense Litigation such as: Tort and Personal Injury; Product Liability; Commercial Law; Labor and Employment; Medical Malpractice; Workers’ Compensation; Healthcare and ERISA; Insurance Law and Coverage; and Governmental and Municipal Liability.

The Association holds two meetings each year. The Annual Meeting is held in November of each year and is attended by Association members and by Judges from the state and federal courts. The Association also sponsors a Joint Meeting in July of each year with the S. C. Claims Managers Association. This very popular meeting is held at the historic Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. The meeting has recently been expanded to include corporate counsel and risk managers. Both meetings include general educational sessions and break-outs sponsored by the Substantive Law Committees of the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association.

The Association has maintained its primary focus in continuing legal education and the promotion of civil justice by sponsoring a Civil Trial Academy in July of each year. This academy gives 24 young lawyers an opportunity to try a mock case in front of an actual state court judge and a live jury. This program has received excellent reviews by the Judiciary, the instructors, and the students.

The Association has consistently received the Excellence Award from the Defense Research Institute. This award recognizes the association’s strong membership, as well as its leadership in the areas of continuing legal education and legislative matters.