High Profile – Richard Rosen
From Young Rebel to Respected Lawyer, He’s Still Fighting for Change
Some of Rosen’s earliest memories were of riding with his father to meet clients. He would watch as Morris sat on the hood of the car and discussed cases with his clients, some of them too poor to drive into town. In 1971 Rosen began working on his graduate degree at the University of South Carolina. Six months after beginning his graduate studies, he decided what he really wanted to do was be a lawyer. He enrolled in USC law school and began what would become his life’s work. In July, he was elected president of the SC Bar, an organization whose membership includes 10,000 practicing attorneys in the state.
Among other goals, Rosen says as president he hopes to help foster more trust in the court system among the general public and secure more funding for the state’s overburdened family court. “There is a very real perception that if you are rich, you have a better shot at a fair trial in America,” he says. “And there are elements of truth to that perception. If you are poor and charged with murder, you get excellent legal help. But if you are poor and you want to get a divorce or get help with a child custody hearing, there is a very real gap. The bar needs to be a leader in this regard. We need to get the word out and fight to change the system.”
Excerpts From Original Article
BY: Clay Barbour
The Post and Courier
