2026 Statewide Conference

The South Carolina Legal Services Statewide Conference brings the SCLS team together to learn, collaborate, and celebrate our shared mission of expanding access to justice across South Carolina. Through training, networking, and team-building opportunities, we strengthen our knowledge, our connections, and our collective impact on the communities we serve.

Conference Wifi Access:

Network: SCLS_Conference
Password: Just!ceHer0es

Conference Agenda:

View the 2026 Statewide Conference schedule below. Presentation slides and session resources will be added as they become available. Select the appropriate link under each session to view or download available materials.

Wednesday's Agenda
Thursday's Agenda
Friday's Agenda

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Wednesday, September 9, 2026

12:00 PM – 7:00 PM: SCLS Annual Statewide Conference Registration
Think Tank @ NOMA

4:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Hotel Check-in

5:30 PM: Heroes for Justice Individual Outfit Content
Think Tank @ NOMA
Contestants Only

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM: Opening Session
Studio 220 @ NOMA A

Welcome and Purpose: Charles J. Boykin, Esquire
Chair, South Carolina Legal Services’ Board of Directors / Partner, Boykin & Davis LLC, Columbia, SC
Greetings: Jeryl S. Salmond
Senior Vice President, Wealth Management / Senior Investment Management Consultant – The Salmond Group at Morgan Stanley
Introduction of New Staff
Heroes for Justice Individual Outfit Winner
Heroes for Justice Office Outfit Contest
Dinner
Introduction of Keynote Speaker: Shunna Vance Jeter, Esquire, SCLS Executive Director
Keynote: “Dream with Your Eyes Open”: Bakari Sellers, Esquire
Strom Law Firm, Columbia, SC / New York Times Bestselling Author, CNN Political Analyst, Youngest Legislator in SC History
Door Prize Drawing
Announcements: Shunna Vance Jeter, Esquire

8:30 PM - 11:30 PM: Hospitality Room Opens (Bingo, Office Talent Contests, Fellowship, Music, Table Games, and Fun)
Teal Ballroom

Thursday, September 10, 2026

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM: Complimentary Breakfast
Teal Ballroom
Conference Registrants Only

8:15 AM – 5:00 PM: Registration Open
Think Tank @ NOMA

8:28 AM: Door Prize Drawing
Studio 220 @ NOMA A, B & C

[Attorneys Session] 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM: Pro Se Parties in Mediation
Studio 220 @ NOMA B & C

Speakers:
Leslie Fisk, Esquire, Law Office of Rhett Burney
Susan Ingles, Esquire, SCLS Consumer Law Unit Head (Greenville)
Download:
- Pro Se Parties in Mediation Slides

[Non-Attorneys Session] 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM:
Studio 220 @ NOMA A

Speaker:
Dr. Kimberly Eichelberger-Searcy, LCSW, LISW-CP, LICSW / Owner, The BellaRey Center, Columbia, SC
Download: Kimberly's Bio

[Attorneys Session] 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM: Bankruptcy and the Automatic Stay: Practical Tools for Legal Aid Attorneys
Studio 220 @ NOMA B & C

Speaker:
Christopher Edwards, Esquire / Moss and Associates Attorneys, PA (Greenville)
Download: Bankruptcy and the Automatic Stay Slides

10:30 AM - 10:45 AM: Break
Studio 220 B, C Prefunction

[Non-Attorneys Session] 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM:
Studio 220 @ NOMA A

Speakers:
Dr. Kimberly Eichelberger-Searcy, LCSW, LISW-CP, LICSW / Owner, The BellaRey Center, Columbia, SC
Download: Kimberly's Bio

[Attorneys Session] 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM: Judge’s Panel: Becoming a Judge, Being a Judge, and Practicing Before a Judge
Studio 220 @ NOMA B & C

Speaker:
The Honorable Kimaka Nichols-Graham – Family Court, Greenville County
The Honorable Alex Kinlaw, Jr. – Circuit Court, Retired
The Honorable Jessica Shultz – Probate Court, Richland County
Download:
- Judge Hill's Do's and Don'ts for Nonjury Practice

12:00 PM - 1:45 PM: Lunch
Teal Ballroom

Keynote: “Taking Your Cape Off”: Dr. Kimberly Searcy
Dr. Kimberly Eichelberger-Searcy, LCSW, LISW-CP, LICSW / Owner, The BellaRey Center, Columbia, SC
Positive Updates from Offices: Designated Staff
SCLS Tenure Awards: Denise Boyd, SCLS Chief Financial Officer
Door Prize Drawing

[All Staff Session] 1:45 PM - 2:45 AM: How to Handle a Housing Case Involving Mold
Studio 220 @ NOMA A

Speaker:
Kirby Mitchell, Esquire / MLP Managing Attorney Upstate
Download: Handling Mold Cases Presentation

[All Staff Session] 2:45 PM - 3:45 AM: The Making of a Superhero: Correcting and Establishing Birth Records in South Carolina
Studio 220 @ NOMA A

Speakers:
Jamie Bell, Esquire, SCLS Managing Attorney (Rock Hill)
Stephanie van der Horst, Esquire, SCLS Employment Law Unit Head (Charleston)
Download:

3:45 PM - 4:00 PM: Break
Teal Ballroom

3:58 PM: Door Prize Drawing
Studio 220 @ NOMA A

[All Staff Session] 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Legal Server Reports and Department Updates
Studio 220 @ NOMA A

Speakers:
Al Parker, Deputy Director of Grants & Compliance (Spartanburg)
Accounting Department
Information Technology Department
Download:
- Legal Reports Presentations
- [Handouts]

5:00 PM: Explore Downtown Greenville / Dinner on Your Own
Studio 220 @ NOMA A