Episode 4 – The YLD and Surviving As a Young Lawyer with Jeanmarie Tankersle‪y‬

In this episode of the Direct Examination Podcast, hosts Amber Fulmer, Dane Phillips, and Joseph Bias are joined by Jeanmarie Tankersley, President-Elect of the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division (YLD) and civil defense litigator at Clawson & Staubes in Greenville, SC. Jeanmarie breaks down the structure and mission of the YLD, the extensive community service and professional development committees available to young lawyers, strategies for navigating student loan debt, and practical boundary-setting techniques to preserve mental health and prevent burnout in the legal profession.

Key Topics Covered

  • Overview of the SC Bar Young Lawyers Division (YLD): Automatic membership for SC Bar members under 36 or in their first five years of practice, designed to foster networking, skill development, and community impact.

  • Community Service Initiatives: Key YLD committees including Voices Against Violence, VITA tax assistance, Wills Clinics, Special Olympics, Families Forever (adoption), and the Bridge Project (supporting federal drug court participants).

  • Diversity & Inclusion Pipeline: Early outreach programs for elementary, middle, and high school students to show that the legal profession is accessible to everyone regardless of background.

  • Mental Health, Anxiety & Work-Life Boundaries: Addressing systemic depression and burnout in law practice, including practical boundaries like disabling email push notifications and protecting Saturdays as dedicated non-work days.

  • Student Loan Debt Relief: Discussing financial pressures on young lawyers and advocating for loan repayment resources.

  • South Carolina Bar Collegiality: Contrasting South Carolina’s close-knit, respectful legal culture with larger metropolitan jurisdictions.

  • Personal Legal Anecdote: Jeanmarie shares an encouraging story about her grandfather—a respected Greenville attorney—recounting how the court reporter had to show him where to sit during his very first trial.

Transcript

Amber Fulmer: Welcome y’all to the Direct Examination Podcast! I’m Amber Fulmer.

Dane Phillips: I’m Dane Phillips.

Joseph Bias: And I’m Joseph Bias! We are thrilled you’re listening. Please take a moment to leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, and share the episode with your colleagues! Today we have an incredible guest from the Upstate to talk about the Young Lawyers Division and surviving as a young lawyer. Amber, introduce our guest!

Amber Fulmer: Our guest today is Jeanmarie Tankersley, President-Elect of the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division! Jeanmarie graduated with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2012, where she served as Student Bar Association President, Executive Editor of the Journal of Intellectual Property Law, and President of the Public Interest Law Council. Following clerkships with Chief Judge Roger W. Dunaway Jr. and Judge Harold A. Hinesley in Georgia, she moved to South Carolina to practice civil defense litigation. She is currently an attorney with Clawson & Staubes in Greenville. Welcome, Jeanmarie!

Jeanmarie Tankersley: Thanks so much for having me!

Joseph Bias: Jeanmarie, for new lawyers or law students who aren’t familiar, what is the Young Lawyers Division (YLD), and why should people get involved?

Jeanmarie Tankersley: The YLD is a division of the South Carolina Bar for any attorney who is under 36 years old or in their first five years of practice in South Carolina. Membership is automatic when you join the Bar. It’s designed to help young lawyers build their network, develop professional skills, and serve their local communities. When I moved to Greenville in 2013, I didn’t know many people outside a few law school classmates, so getting involved in YLD committees was the best way to connect with peers across the state.

Dane Phillips: What are some of the specific community service projects and committees that the YLD manages?

Jeanmarie Tankersley: About two-thirds of our YLD committees focus directly on public service. We host backpack drives for schools, support Make-A-Wish, run the Families Forever committee focusing on adoption, organize Voices Against Violence for domestic abuse awareness, host VITA tax assistance clinics for low-income residents, and conduct Wills Clinics for first responders. I also helped launch the Bridge Project, which supports participants in the federal drug court program. If a young lawyer has an idea for a community initiative, the YLD gives them the platform and funding to build a committee around it.

Joseph Bias: What are some of the primary issues the YLD leadership is focusing on for the upcoming year?

Jeanmarie Tankersley: Two big priorities are Diversity & Inclusion and Mental Health/Wellness. On diversity, we’re focusing on early pipeline programs—reaching out to elementary, middle, and high school students so they know from a young age that a legal career is open to them. On mental health, lawyers face disproportionately high rates of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse compared to other professions. We want to normalize conversations around mental health, provide resources, and help young lawyers establish healthy work-life boundaries early in their careers.

Amber Fulmer: Establishing work-life boundaries is so tough, especially when you’re starting out at a firm billing hours. How do you personally manage stress and prevent burnout?

Jeanmarie Tankersley: It took me a few years to learn, but the best boundary I created for myself was making Saturdays completely sacred—no billing, no checking emails, no work. Sundays are available if I need to prep for the week, but having one day where I am 100% disconnected made a massive difference in my mental health. I also turned off email push notifications on my phone so that every incoming email doesn’t trigger a surge of adrenaline.

Dane Phillips: That email ping anxiety is very real! Turning off pop-up notifications on your phone or computer is one of the best things any young lawyer can do for their sanity.

Jeanmarie Tankersley: Absolutely. The work will always be there on Monday morning; taking care of your mental well-being ensures you actually stay in the profession long-term.

Joseph Bias: We end every episode with a war story or memorable legal moment. What’s a story that has stuck with you throughout your practice?

Jeanmarie Tankersley: My grandfather was a long-time attorney in Greenville, and he was the main reason I wanted to go to law school. When I first started practicing and felt overwhelmed or made mistakes, he told me that during his very first trial right out of law school, he walked into the courtroom and had no idea which side of the room to sit on—the court reporter had to physically guide him to the defense table! Whenever I have a moment where I feel imposter syndrome or don’t know an answer immediately, I remind myself that even the most brilliant, experienced trial lawyers started out not knowing where to sit.

Joseph Bias: That is an absolute classic story! Jeanmarie, thank you so much for taking the time to join us and for your leadership with the YLD.

Jeanmarie Tankersley: Thank you all so much for having me!

Dane Phillips: You can follow Jeanmarie on Twitter and Instagram @JeanMarieSC. To get involved with the YLD, visit scbar.org/yld. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook @SCLawPod, Dane @SCCrimLawyer, Amber @RedJudicata, and Joseph @JosephPBias. Leave us a five-star review and we’ll see y’all next week!