Random blog posts on law-related topics that I think are interesting.
Co-parenting through COVID-19
By Amanda S. Mueller Family Law Attorney Under normal circumstances, divorce and co-parenting can be a struggle. Uncertain times like we are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic can make the struggle worse. On the other hand, it could also be an opportunity for divorced parents to put things into perspective and put petty squabbles and […]
Getting a criminal record expunged in South Carolina
By Maya Weeks Second-Year Law Student When I apply for a job in South Carolina, do I have to tell my potential employer that I have a criminal arrest or conviction if those records were expunged? The short answer is “no.” A change in South Carolina law now makes it clear that effective December 28, […]
What parents and grandparents need to know about grandparents’ rights
By Sarah J. M. Cox Attorney at law Grandparents can play important and vital roles in their grandchildren’s lives. Many people grow up extremely close to their grandparents. On the other hand, grandparents and parents can clash on many issues, including how best to raise grandchildren. Over the past 50 years, the issue of grandparents’ […]
Questions about tree trimming and the law can be complicated, McDaniel tells group
It’s not often that we get to experience “full circle” moments in life, but Kathleen McDaniel recently experienced a wonderful moment, connecting professionally with friends and co-workers from her life before the practice of law. Before Kathleen went to law school, she worked as an environmental educator in the City of Charleston’s Department of Parks […]
SC Pregnancy Accommodations Act: What it means to employees and employers
By Grant Burnette LeFever Juris Doctor In May 2018, South Carolina took what many would describe as an uncharacteristically progressive step in joining 22 other states and the District of Columbia in providing statutory protection for pregnancy and childbirth. Notably, South Carolina is the first Southern state to do so. The South Carolina Pregnancy Accommodations […]
What to do if your egg salad sandwich tries to kill you
By Sarah J.M. Cox Law Clerk A new outbreak of Salmonella, which has sickened dozens of people, has been traced to a farm in North Carolina, causing recalls of eggs sold in several states, including South Carolina. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has a helpful website with information about what to […]
Malissa on Weed: Legalized Marijuana and Employer Drug Testing
By M. Malissa Burnette Attorney at Law It’s Weed Day 2018! Marijuana is no longer perceived as the threat to all humanity portrayed in the 1936 propaganda film “Reefer Madness”. That iconic work, now viewed as laughable, was a melodramatic marvel depicting teenagers lured to using marijuana then driven to insanity, mayhem and murder. On […]
#MeToo . . . the tweet heard round the world
By Nekki Shutt Attorney at Law October 15, 2017. That was the day celebrity Alyssa Milano (from Who’s the Boss?, Melrose Place and Charmed) tweeted “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write “me too” as a reply to this tweet.” That tweet evoked a tidal wave of response: Within 24 hours, half a million […]
Copyrights: Why it pays to have your copyright registered with the U.S. Copyright Office
A “copyright” is a type of protection that the law gives to original works of authorship, and it is available for published and unpublished works. Technically, a “copyright” is the right to reproduce copies; however, the Copyright Act gives authors of original works many more rights, such as enabling authors to do or authorize (i.e. […]
Donevant v. Town of Surfside Beach: The Public Policy Exception to South Carolina’s At-Will Employment Doctrine
South Carolina, like many other states, adheres to the at-will employment doctrine, which allows an employer to terminate an employee for any reason or no reason at all. “An at-will employee may be terminated at any time for any reason or for no reason, with or without cause.” Barron v. Labor Finders of S.C., 393 S.C. […]