When most people think of legal disputes, images of a courtroom, judge and jury come to mind. There’s a whole other layer to the law, though, that has a tremendous impact on lives.
It’s called administrative law. It can affect you on a personal level if you want to make changes on your property or need a professional license. It can affect your business, too, if you want to expand and need a permit or approval.
It’s a very different area of law, in different settings and under different rules. At Burnette Shutt & McDaniel, we’ve represented clients before dozens of local, state and federal agencies with decision-making power. We’ve helped people move their projects forward. We’ve also represented people contesting plans.
Local, state and federal administrative law
We’ve appeared before local planning commissions and permitting agencies that handle zoning issues ranging from a small lot to huge swaths for commercial development. Our administrative law practice also includes public service commissions that operate water and sewage systems.
We help clients with issues before state regulatory agencies such as the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the South Carolina Department of Insurance.
We’ve also represented doctors, nurses, psychologists, cosmetologists, occupational therapists and social workers. The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation covers nearly 50 professional licensing boards. These include:
- Accountancy
- Architectural Examiners
- Athletic Commission
- Auctioneers’ Commission
- Barber Examiners
- Boiler Safety Program
- Building Codes Council
- Cemetery Board
- Chiropractic Examiners
- Contractor’s Licensing Board
- Cosmetology
- Counselors, Therapists, and Specialists
- Dentistry
- Dietetics
- Engineers & Surveyors
- Environmental Certification
- Foresters
- Funeral Service
- Geologists
- Landscape Architectural Examiners
- Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board
- Long Term Health Care Administrators
- Manufactured Housing Board
- Massage & Bodywork Therapy
- Medical Examiners
- Nursing
- Occupational Therapy
- Opticianry
- Optometry
- Pharmacy
- Physical Therapy Examiners
- Pilotage
- Podiatry Examiners
- Psychology
- Pyrotechnic Safety
- Real Estate Appraisers Board
- Real Estate Commission
- Residential Builders Commission
- Social Work Examiners
- Soil Classifier Advisory Council
- Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
- Veterinary Medical Examiners
At the federal level, authorities such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture issue permits and make rules that affect everyone’s lives. The public has the right to comment on these rules. We can make sure your voice is heard.
Beyond dealings with the agencies, there also are ways to appeal their decisions. South Carolina has its Administrative Law Court. The federal government has more than 1,000 administrative law judges within its agencies. We represent clients before these judges, too, should it become necessary.