Episode 11- Benjamin Dunn

In Episode 11 of the Direct Examination podcast, hosts Amber Fulmer, Dayne Phillips, and Joseph Bias sit down with Benjamin Dunn, Republican candidate for South Carolina Senate District 20. Dunn, a partner at the Columbia law firm Ormond & Dunn specializing in real property, contractual, employment, and real estate litigation, discusses his background and motivations for entering public service.

A 20-plus-year veteran of the South Carolina Army National Guard, Dunn reflects on his deployment to Afghanistan (2004–2005)—where he earned the Combat Infantry Badge and Bronze Star—and shares how complex litigation skills translate to analyzing legislative policies. The conversation explores critical issues facing District 20, including legislative term limits, committee chair reform, public corruption, local road infrastructure, the VC Summer/SCANA fallout, and education reform proposals such as reducing standardized testing and creating alternative certification pathways for military retirees.

Key Topics Covered

  • Background & Legal Practice: Benjamin Dunn’s legal practice at Ormond & Dunn handling real property, contractual disputes, employment law, and real estate transactions.

  • Military Service & Deployment: Serving over 20 years in the SC Army National Guard as an infantry and air defense officer, including a 2004–2005 deployment to Afghanistan during Operation Red Wings.

  • Motivation for Public Office: Transitioning from complaining about government inefficiency to applying litigation skills toward sifting through legislative details and evaluating second- and third-order policy effects.

  • Term Limits & Committee Chair Reform: Advocating for legislative term limits and capping committee chair tenure to prevent elected office from shifting from public service into personal possession.

  • Education Reform & Teacher Recruitment: Reducing standardized testing overload, raising teacher salaries toward the southeastern average, and creating transition programs for military retirees to enter classrooms.

  • Campaign & Practice Management: Balancing small-firm practice, military commitments, campaign schedules, and raising four children.

  • Cross-Examination & Advice: Reflections on Afghanistan service, alternate career interests in forestry/park service, and advice for entering the legal profession.

Transcript

Amber Fulmer: Welcome, y’all, to the Direct Examination podcast. I’m Amber Fulmer.

Dayne Phillips: And I’m Dayne Phillips.

Joseph Bias: And I’m Joseph Bias.

Amber Fulmer: Again, before we get started today, we just wanna thank our listeners. We understand that y’all really enjoyed last week’s episode with Dacoti James. So if you enjoyed that one, we encourage you to go back if you’re a new fan and listen to some of the previous episodes that we recorded. Joseph hasn’t stopped talking—he freestyled all the way through our part! We’re excited about our guest today, and Dayne is gonna introduce him.

Dayne Phillips: Our guest today is Benjamin Dunn. He is the candidate for the SC Senate District 20 seat in the race against Dick Harpootlian. He is a partner at the Columbia law firm Ormond & Dunn, where he primarily represents clients involved in disputes over real property, contractual matters, employment issues, and real estate transactions. He has served as an infantry and air defense officer in the South Carolina Army National Guard for over 20 years. From 2004 to 2005, he was deployed in Afghanistan and was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge and Bronze Star for his actions while deployed. Thank you for coming on the show, Ben.

Benjamin Dunn: Thank you very much for having me; glad to be here.

Joseph Bias: What made you decide to take time away from your law firm and family to go into politics?

Benjamin Dunn: I got tired of complaining. I figured I’d be part of the solution. It seemed like we could manage our resources a lot more efficiently and intelligently. A lot of decisions didn’t appear to have deep thought going into them, and I thought I might be able to make a difference.

The skill set you develop from legal work—particularly complex litigation like employment cases where the law is dense and discovery requires sifting through mounds of information—prepares you to dig deep for salient facts. That skill set is directly transferable to the legislative process when evaluating new laws and analyzing their second- and third-order effects.

Dayne Phillips: Public corruption and ethics reform have been thrust into the news cycle, particularly with the opening of Senator John Courson’s seat. What are your thoughts on addressing public corruption?

Benjamin Dunn: I am thrilled at the prospect of representing the folks in District 20, though I am not happy about the circumstances leading to this election. Former Senator John Courson held this seat for over three decades and was well-liked and respected by many who were shocked when events transpired.

This election and the events leading up to it are a compelling argument for term limits. If you sit in an elected office too long, human nature dictates that at a certain point, it stops being a position of public service and becomes a possession. Sitting in office for decades isn’t good for the officeholder or the public.

While full term limits at the State House are an uphill climb, a achievable short-term goal would be term-limiting committee chairs. In our legislature, committees hold tremendous power, and capping chair tenures would be a major improvement over our current system.

Joseph Bias: As a Republican, what key issues do you hear most about from voters on the campaign trail?

Benjamin Dunn: The three issues that come up constantly are education, roads, and the VC Summer/SCANA situation.

Regarding education, I believe we are testing too much. My four kids in Lexington-Richland School District 5 take standardized tests multiple times a year. While benchmarking is useful globally, over-testing drains classroom time, wastes resources, and wears on teachers who are forced to focus strictly on metrics. Scaling back testing allows teachers the time to mentor and provide one-on-one help to students.

To address teacher shortages, we need to raise salaries toward the southeastern average. Additionally, we should explore alternative certification programs for military retirees who bring decades of leadership and maturity, training them for a year to transition directly into classrooms.

Dayne Phillips: How do you plan to balance managing a small law firm, campaign commitments, military duties, and family?

Benjamin Dunn: Right now, I’m in one-day-at-a-time mode. Lord willing, if we win, I will make schedule adjustments. I’ve spoken with several attorney-legislators in small-firm settings regarding time management.

Joseph Bias: Why did you choose law as a career?

Benjamin Dunn: I was initially a biology major at Clemson aiming for medical school. As I finished undergrad, I realized medical school and residencies required a multi-year commitment that demanded absolute singular passion. I liked the flexibility of a law degree and the opportunity to advocate in the courtroom.

Amber Fulmer: Time for Cross-Examination! What was your most memorable experience in the South Carolina National Guard?

Benjamin Dunn: Being deployed in Afghanistan. During Operation Red Wings—the mission featured in Lone Survivor—I was at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Naray with an embedded training team (ETT) working with the Afghan National Army. We set up blocking positions in the valley complex following the engagement, hoping to locate survivors before Marcus Luttrell ultimately found refuge with an Afghan villager.

Amber Fulmer: Other than being a lawyer or serving in the military, what occupation would you have chosen?

Benjamin Dunn: My dad was a forestry professor at Clemson, so working as a park ranger or forest ranger would have been very interesting.

Dayne Phillips: What advice would you give a young lawyer or prospective law student?

Benjamin Dunn: Go to med school—make more money! But seriously, if you accept the practice of law for what it is rather than what you think it ought to be, you will find it deeply satisfying.

Joseph Bias: Benjamin Dunn, thank you for joining us. Election day is November 6th. You can follow Ben Dunn on Twitter @BenDunn4Senate. Follow us @SCLawPod on Twitter and Facebook, Joseph @JosephPBias, Dayne @SCCriminalLawyer, and Amber @actredjudicata. Email us at directexaminationpodcast@gmail.com!