The S.C. Bar hopes to begin posting the disciplinary records of the state's
11,500 lawyers on the Internet by this summer.
Bar President-elect Bradish J. Waring of Charleston said the move is another
in a series of steps to reinforce public confidence in the legal profession.
"It's a good public service to have," said Waring, who will be installed as
the Bar's 122nd president Friday at the House of Delegates meeting in
Charleston.
"It will make it easier for the public to choose a lawyer with all the
information available," he added.
Last winter, the Bar opted to start posting lawyer disciplinary actions, just
as bar organizations do in a dozen other states.
Weekly lawyer disciplines already are electronically posted by the S.C.
Supreme Court as they are issued.
But the state Bar wants all lawyer information and all lawyer histories
available to the public on a single, easy to navigate site. The disciplinary
marks, running from light reprimands to outright disbarment, would cover public
actions against "any living lawyer in their lifetime," said Waring, a partner in
the firm of Nexsen Pruet in Charleston.
One of the biggest hurdles has been assembling the data. South Carolina has
more than 11,500 lawyers and all practicing attorneys in South Carolina must
belong to the Bar
Those attorney records go back decades and "are not in the best shape,"
Waring said.
One issue to be addressed is how long the disciplines will be posted. The
current suggestion is for 75 years, Waring said. He thinks a 50-year limit is
more practical, given lawyer retirement and mortality.
The Internet suggestion is one of several initiatives the S.C. Bar has
pursued in recent years to promote a more positive image.
Later this month, the second installment of a TV ad campaign highlighting the
jobs that lawyers do will come to an end.
The campaign features four ads depicting lawyers helping in a divorce, estate
planning, opening a business and adoption. The ads cost $100,000 and have been
running since August 2005.
"It's really to help the public understand that being a lawyer is not what
you see on 'Boston Legal,' " Waring said.
Reach Schuyler Kropf at 937-5551 or skropf@postandcourier.com.
