The Charleston School of Law faculty is committed to preparing students for success both in the classroom and in the legal profession. Our open doors policy provides law students with an environment that fosters a rich learning setting.
The faculty at Charleston Law are renowned nationwide for their research and scholarship.
Below are highlights of February 2024 Faculty Scholarship:
Katie Brown | Associate Dean for Information Resources
Professors Katie Brown and Jessica de Perio Whittman (UConn Law) have been contracted by Carolina Academic Press to publish a new book titled, Strategic Tech Integration in the Legal Academy: A Comprehensive Guide for Aligning with ABA Standards and Modern Legal Practice, designed to provide practical guidance for instructors and administrators aiming to integrate technology into their law school’s curriculum.
In particular, in response to ABA Model Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1, mandating technological competence for attorneys, and Standards 301, 302, 303, 314, and 315, this book will focus on the pivotal role of law schools in shaping technologically adept legal professionals.
The book will present ways law schools can implement technology into the curriculum to align with ethical requirements and technology trends in practice and will present empirical analyses that support why law schools must align with the technology expectations in contemporary legal practice. The recommendations will guide law schools in fostering a comprehensive approach to technology education, ensuring graduates are not only ethically prepared but also proficient in navigating the technological landscape of modern legal practice. The intended audience are law faculty and administrators.
Professor Brown has also been invited to speak as a panelist at the TechInLaw LegalTech Seminar—The Role of AI and Social Media on Deepfake Videos in Non-Consensual Pornography. The event will be held on Friday, April 5 at The Joseph F. Rice School of Law at the University of South Carolina.
Professors Margaret Lawton, Kim Phillips, and Miller Shealy are updating their book, South Carolina Crimes: Elements and Defenses (2nd Edition published in 2021). The anticipated release date from the S.C. Bar will be some time this year.
Dylan Malagrinò | Professor of Law
Professor Dylan Malagrinò will author the first South-Carolina-specific Wills & Trusts publication for the company, to be titled: South Carolina Estate Planning and Will Drafting with Forms. The book will focus on basic estate planning and will-drafting issues and topics in South Carolina. Topics will include estate planning, will drafting, trusts, powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and the rudiments of elder law and federal death taxes. The book is intended for South Carolina estates/probate/elder law attorneys, general practitioners, non-attorney wealth preservation advisors, paralegals, law professors, and students.
Malagrinò’s research, Beach Please: Implementing a New England Coastal States Open Beach Access Act, 47 U.C. Davis Environs: Envtl. L. & Pol’y J. ___ (2024), has been accepted for inclusion in program for the Association for Law, Property & Society (ALPS) Annual Meeting to be held at the Caruso School of Law, Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, June 13–15. ALPS, is an international organization of scholars and teachers engaged in a wide range of interdisciplinary research covering all aspects of property law, policy, and theory, and the role property plays in social structures, human relationships, and ecology. The organization promotes informed dialogue among diverse scholars at all stages of their careers from around the world and in many disciplines through conferences, publications, workshops, and mentoring. The abstract for the article, which Malagrinò will present as a panelist at the ALPS annual meeting, is here:
The New England states should modify their Coastal Zone Management programs to allow each state to implement a New England Open Beach Access Act. Each state with an ocean coastline would follow a uniform program for coastal zone management instead of following their own respective state-specific program. Regional specific zone programs, instead of individual state-run coastal zone programs will become more efficient at streamlining daily operations and maintaining a consistent regional coastal program over time. Currently, the federal Coastal Management Zone Act (CZMA) allows individual states to manage their coastal programs. The discord occurs when a bordering state defines boundaries, recreational uses, or rights in such a way that the sister state does not. Congress should amend the federal CZMA to allow for states wishing to join a regional specific Open Beach Access program the ability to do so without impairing their status in the Coastal Management Program or their allocation of federal funds. By implementing a New England Coastal States Open Beach Access Act, a consistent and uniform coastal program will lead to a more effective coastal management program, and to more public beach access in New England.
Larry Cunningham | Dean, Provost and Professor of Law
Charleston School of Law Dean Larry Cunningham has been invited to speak at the Global Legal Forum (GLF) at The Hague, October 10–11. The GLF brings together firms, corporations, and legal educators to discuss cutting edge issues facing the profession internationally.
The Forum has gained an international reputation as the premier event for the legal industry to network, learn, and connect. This year’s forum, themed The Interconnected Legal World, reflects the multi-faceted nature of the legal world. Embracing key areas such as In-house Counsels, Compliance, Legal Technology, Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property, Aviation Law, and Legal Education and Training, the GLF stands as the quintessential gathering for legal professionals seeking to explore and influence the dynamic landscape of legal practice.
Kevin Eberle and Dylan Malagrinò | Professors of Law
Professors Kevin Eberle and Dylan Malagrinò, and Brian Turner (Executive Director of the Preservation Society of Charleston) will collaborate on a new book on the intersection of law and historic preservation for for the American Bar Association section on Real Property and Trusts & Estates. A release date has not been announced.
Miller Shealy | Professor of Law
Professor Miller Shealy will be updating his online edition of the Pattern Jury Instructions for Federal Criminal Cases for the District of South Carolina. Pattern Jury Instructions for Federal Criminal Cases is a project initiated by the U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina, and the South Carolina Bar in 2005. Hardcopy and online versions were first published in 2011.
Shealy has been the editor of the jury instructions for the past six years. He authored the 2024 updates and completed the revisions of the 700-page document last week. The 2024 updates are posted on the Federal Court website.
The Charleston School of Law is an ABA-accredited law school nationally recognized for its student-centric culture. Our faculty and staff are committed to preparing you for success both in the classroom and in the legal profession.
The Charleston School of Law and the U.S. Coast Guard Judge Advocate General formally announced a new partnership that will create the nation’s first court-martial mock trial competition for law students.
Charleston School of Law professor Kevin Eberle will receive the Whitelaw Founders Award at the 77th annual Charter Day Celebration tonight.
Charleston School of Law recently hosted the Transactional Law Derby.
