The SC Bar Young Lawyers Division (YLD) was the winner of five prestigious Awards of Achievement at the American Bar Association Annual Meeting on Aug. 4 in Chicago, Ill. The awards included first place for Minority Service Project, Service to the Public and Newsletters, and second place for Service to the Bar and Comprehensive Projects and Programs.

“These honors recognize the hard work of an outstanding group of South Carolina’s young lawyers and are a testament to the leadership of our immediate past president, Rebecca Roser,” said Will Johnson, YLD president-elect. “We look forward to building upon this success to provide valuable benefits to our members and continue our strong tradition of public service.”

The Color of Justice program placed first in the Minority Service Project category and was chaired by Chisa J. Putman, a sole practitioner in Rock Hill. The program allows interested students to interact with judges, practicing attorneys and law school faculty to learn about opportunities within the legal profession.

Chaired by Jennifer Ashburn of Columbia, the Habitat for Humanity Wills Clinic took home first place for the Service to the Public award. The clinic pairs Habitat for Humanity homeowners with SC young lawyer volunteers who provide wills targeted at addressing specific needs associated with the Habitat for Humanity program.

SC Young Lawyer was awarded first place in the Newsletters category and was co-chaired by Marshall Coleman Newton, a Columbia attorney with Robinson, McFadden & Moore, PC, and Amanda K. Dudgeon, a Charleston attorney with Carlock, Copeland & Stair, LLP. The newsletter is a quarterly publication that includes both substantive articles and information on the SC Bar YLD’s ongoing events.

YLD programming during the SC Bar Convention placed second in the Service to the Bar category. Young lawyers led by Beth Palmer, Charleston attorney with Rosen, Rosen & Hagood, and Britt Kelly, organized a continuing legal education program titled “The Art of Negotiation,” which featured Tom Wills, Joel Collins and Johnny Hagins, and hosted an oyster roast at City Art. The event brought more than 300 young lawyers together and helped organize tactical planning meetings for the division’s leadership.

YLD also placed second in the Comprehensive Projects and Programs category, which recognizes the overall contributions of the SC Bar YLD. Under the leadership of Immediate Past President Rebecca Roser, a Columbia attorney with Robinson, McFadden & Moore, PC, YLD reached record levels of participation and attendance in a wide variety of service projects and member activities.

Accepting the awards on behalf of YLD were President-Elect Will Johnson, a Columbia attorney with Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, PA, and Edward Rawl, a Columbia attorney with Fisher & Phillips, LLP.

The SC Bar YLD includes all members of the SC Bar under the age of36 and those with less than five years of membership.

The South Carolina Bar, which has a membership of more than 14,000 lawyers, is dedicated to advancing justice, professionalism and understanding of the law.