Class of 2025: ‘Be bold, fight for what you believe in’

Charleston School of Law hosted its annual Spring Commencement ceremony on Saturday at the McAlister Fieldhouse on the campus of The Citadel.

Justice Kaye Hearn (ret.) South Carolina Supreme Court Justice inspired the Class of 2025 in her keynote speech. “Today is the first day of the rest of your lives because from now on, everything you do, you do as a lawyer,” she said. “When you speak up, when you express your opinion, when you volunteer in your community, when you tell a joke–even when you laugh at a joke–you do so as a lawyer. This is a powerful thing. Be bold, be willing to fight for what you believe in, and be proud to be a lawyer.”

Justice Hearn was elected to the Supreme Court of South Carolina in May 2009, becoming only the second woman member in the Court’s history. Prior to her election to the state’s highest court, Justice Hearn was a member of the South Carolina Court of Appeals for fifteen years, serving as Chief Judge for ten years. During her tenure as Chief Judge, Justice Hearn served as President of the Council of Chief Judges, a nationwide network of chief judges of the intermediate appellate courts. At the time of her retirement, she was the longest serving member of the South Carolina State Court Judiciary.

Justice Hearn received the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association’s Jean Galloway Bissell Award; in 2011, she was honored with an award in celebration of Inspiring Women from Coastal Carolina University; and in 2012, Governor Nikki Haley presented her with the Woman of Achievement Award from the South Carolina Commission on Women. Justice Hearn received the Bethany College Alumni Achievement Award and was named an Alpha Xi Delta Woman of Distinction. In 2022, she received the Outstanding Jurist Award from the American Board of Trial Advocates.

“When I was getting ready to go on the bench forty years ago, my mentor, Justice Julius B. Ness of the South Carolina Supreme Court, told me that I needed to be able to go home at night, look myself in the mirror, and like what I saw,” Justice Hearn told the Class of 2025. “That was the single best piece of advice I received over the span of my career, and I offer it to you now. The first time you look at your reflection and don’t like what you see, you have not only let down yourself, but you have disappointed the people in this room who sacrificed so much to help you realize your dream of becoming a lawyer.”

Charleston School of Law graduated 188 students on Saturday including:

• 23 Presidential Scholars
• 12 Cum Laude
• 9 Magna Cum Laude
• 6 Summa Cum Laude

Student Bar Association president Sarah T. Cooper received the William Bennett Regan Award, presented annually to the graduating student who best represents the leadership and commitment exhibited by William Bennett Regan as Charleston Corporation Counsel (1975-2003).

“It went by fast. I wish I could go back. Since I’ve been so involved and since I’ve had so much fun in law school and becoming the best version of myself, if I had to do it all again, I would do it exactly the same way, but I would also like to stay in it for a little longer. I really enjoyed it that much. I enjoy the people, my professors, the faculty, the staff, classmates.” — Sarah T. Cooper

Brett F. Moorman received the Arthur G. Howe Trial Advocacy Award. The award is presented to the graduating student who best exemplifies excellence in trial advocacy and is funded by the American College of Trial Lawyers, is named in honor of the late Arthur G. Howe.

Charleston School of Law recognized the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation (private) and the Charleston County Probate Court (public) with the 2025 Community Partner of the Year award. The honor is presented each year to two community organizations, one in the private sector and one from the public, that exemplify the true notion of partnership.

Five Charleston Law students — Maeve Cavanaugh, Oleksiy Isaev, Amani Lazarus, Angela Saric, and Taylor Tugya — were selected to become members of the Forensic Club. Membership is determined by law students who have demonstrated leadership, professionalism, public service, and academic commitment.

The Student Bar Association created The Dean Sanders Student Impact Award, a new award to recognize Associate Dean Nicholas Sanders. The SBA said the award is “presented to a member of the Charleston School of Law staff whose actions reflect the student-centered leadership exemplified by Dean Sanders.”

Dean Sanders has been dedicated to the success of students at the Charleston School of Law since he joined the school’s staff in 2018. As the Associate Dean of Students and Career Services, he has demonstrated compassion and unwavering support to the success of students both inside and outside the classroom. He has fostered an environment that empowers students to succeed in all areas of their lives.

“Something I really value about the Charleston School is the tight knit community. I feel like I’m friends with the professors here. Just that smaller setting has been incredible for me. It’s also given me an opportunity to get to know my peers better. They are some of the most intelligent people that I’ve met in my entire life and who I’ve really leaned on throughout law school.” — Kayla Rivera

Michelle Condon, Director of Externships, Public Service and Pro Bono, reported that 57 students completed more than 100 hours of community service.

Charleston Law students recorded 17,754 hours of pro bono work during the 2024-25 academic year. Student Bar Association President Sarah Cooper was honored for recording the most Pro Bono hours (493.75), followed by Sydney Rose (486.5), Carlee Lambert (433.25), Rachel Rittleman (376.5) and Chloe Lyda (344).

Community service is a core value at Charleston School of Law and was created to instill a commitment to service. Charleston School of Law experiential learning opportunities sends students from the classroom to the front lines of the professional legal system. This experience provides the next generation of legal professionals with practical, hands-on experience. Each graduate is required to participate a minimum of 50 hours of pro bono service in the community.

In her closing remarks, Justice Hearn challenged the Class of ’25: “Do what you can with the gifts you have been given. Remember that although you are but one, you are one.  It is a delicate balancing act to give your life to the law but to not allow it to become your life. The work is demanding and challenging, the hours are often long, and your clients and their cases can suck the joy right out of you … Don’t lose sight of the fact that you alone are responsible for deciding how to allocate your time between your personal and professional life; do not allow others to make that critical decision for you.”