South Carolina

Amber Fulmer: Welcome, y’all, to the Direct Examination podcast. My name is Amber Fulmer.

Dayne Phillips: And I’m Dayne Phillips.

Joseph Bias: And I’m Joseph Bias. Dayne has the excused absence this week due to murder trials, PCR appeals, and hearings, but Amber is back! We want to thank everyone for continuing to listen, including our growing international audience.

Our guest today is Megan Seiner, Executive Director of the South Carolina Bar Foundation. Originally from New Jersey, she received her JD from Rutgers Law School and practiced with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and FEMA before relocating to South Carolina in 2007. She served in various key roles at the University of South Carolina School of Law, including Career Services, Student Affairs, and Director of Externships, serving as a crucial lifeline for students. She joined the Bar Foundation in 2016. Welcome, Megan!

Megan Seiner: Thanks for having me!

Joseph Bias: What brought you from FEMA and patent/trademark work to working at the law school?

Megan Seiner: In college, I worked for the Council of Economic Advisors at the White House for three years. I went to Rutgers Law knowing I wanted to practice government law in DC. I worked at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office doing trademark law, which was interesting but solitary.

I moved to FEMA’s Civil Rights Office and later transitioned to administrative and employment litigation, which I loved. In 2005, I married my husband, Joe Seiner, who is also a lawyer and wanted to become a law professor. When he received an opportunity at USC Law, we moved to South Carolina in 2007. I visited the law school’s career services office to meet local attorneys, was offered a position creating a new student support role, and stayed for nearly a decade because I loved working with the students.

Joseph Bias: For those being introduced to it for the first time, what is the South Carolina Bar Foundation and what does it do?

Megan Seiner: The Bar Foundation was created in 1972 to distribute funds to support legal and community initiatives across South Carolina. In the 1990s, the South Carolina Supreme Court made Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts (IOLTA) mandatory. When lawyers hold short-term client funds (such as during real estate closings), the pooled interest from those accounts is remitted to the Bar Foundation.

Prior to the 2008 housing crisis, IOLTA brought in $5 million to $6 million annually; currently, it generates between $1.5 million and $1.8 million per year. We use those funds alongside fundraising to support legal grantees statewide. 88 cents of every dollar raised goes directly back out into community grants, keeping our operation lean and efficient.

Dayne Phillips: What types of programs does the Bar Foundation support?

Megan Seiner: We support three main categories of grantees:

1. Civil Legal Aid: Organizations providing direct civil representation for low-income citizens, such as South Carolina Legal Services and SC Appleseed.

2. Administration of Justice: Sliding-scale and community services like Charleston Legal Access, SisterCare (domestic violence shelter), and One80 Place (homeless shelter).

3. Law-Related Education: Programs such as the SC Bar Mock Trial program, USC Law Public Interest summer grants, and YMCA Youth in Government scholarships.

Joseph Bias: If you had a blank check to address a major systemic issue in South Carolina, what would you focus on?

Megan Seiner: Physical access to the justice system. Many people encounter civil legal issues without realizing a lawyer could help them, or they cannot afford representation or navigate language barriers.

For example, an unresolved landlord-tenant issue can lead to an unjust eviction. Losing housing forces a person to spend car payment funds on finding a new apartment, leading to vehicle repossession, which in turn prevents them from commuting to work, resulting in job loss. Early legal intervention prevents that compounding downward spiral.

Dayne Phillips: What advice would you give law students and young lawyers entering tough job markets?

Megan Seiner: Understand that your first salary and first job will not be your last. If you want litigation experience, consider starting at a public defender’s office, solicitor’s office, or small plaintiff’s firm where you will handle depositions and court appearances far faster than at a large firm. Most importantly, proof is in the pudding: once you enter practice, hard work and building a solid professional reputation matter far more than initial law school grades.

Amber Fulmer: Time for Cross-Examination! If you weren’t a lawyer or Executive Director of the Bar Foundation, what career would you choose?

Megan Seiner: A journalist or TV talking head/commentator asking tough questions, because I love reading and analyzing current events!

Joseph Bias: How can attorneys contribute to the Bar Foundation?

Megan Seiner: Members can donate directly on their annual SC Bar license fee statement or visit SCBarFoundation.org.

Joseph Bias: Thank you, Megan Seiner, for joining us and for your incredible work! Follow the Bar Foundation @SCBarFoundation or visit SCBarFoundation.org. Follow us @SCLawPod on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, Joseph @JosephPBias, Dayne @SCCrimLawyer, and Amber @actredjudicata. Email us at directexaminationpodcast@gmail.com!