Judge Matthews and Johnny McAllister
The SCWLA Midlands Region recently held a Happy Hour honoring the women of the South Carolina Administrative Law Court — Judge Carolyn Matthews, Judge Deborah Brooks Durden, and Judge Shirley Robinson. The event was held on November 16, 2010, at the Palmetto Club in Columbia. Members of USC Law School’s Women in Law and women graduates from USC Law School’s Class of 2010 also attended as special guests. The evening was a casual way for everyone to meet the ALC judges and to enjoy getting to know their colleagues.
Judge Durden and Suzanne Bauknight
Judge Matthews began the informal program with an introduction to the ALC, followed by Judge Durden, who discussed the process for hearing matters, and Judge Robinson, who discussed appeals. The ALC was created by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1993. The judges of the ALC preside over public hearings involving the promulgation of regulations, and they decide contested cases involving state agencies as well as appellate cases involving agency decisions. Judge Durden noted most of the attorneys who come before the ALC fall into one of two categories: (1) those who specialize in administrative law, and (2) those who practice in other areas but wind up, on that rare occasion, with a matter before the ALC. It is the latter who find themselves struggling sometimes to understand the system. She mentioned, however, that anyone may attend a hearing in the ALC, and it is a good way to gain familiarity with how it functions before you might need to make an appearance.
Judge Robinson and Cheryl Grant
Everyone was very excited for the opportunity to hear from the three women judges of the ALC and very appreciative of their participation on this special evening! For more information about the ALC, please log onto the court’s website at http://www.scalc.net, where you can find additional details about the court, its rules of procedure, and its decisions.
–Karen Huelson
South Carolina Women Lawyers Association's Blog: The Briefcase 