Pro Bono
We're Making Progress. We're Making a Difference
Citing Nelson Mullins as a prime supporter of a Criminal Domestic Violence pro bono program, S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster twice in 2007 recognized the statewide volunteer attorneys who provide free legal services to abuse victims.
Through the program, attorneys represent victims of criminal domestic violence in cases that otherwise might not be prosecuted because of heavy caseloads and, often, the victims’ unwillingness to cooperate. Private attorneys can be trained and certified through the Office of the Attorney General to become a Special Prosecutor for these cases. The Attorney General’s Office then assigns cases and maintains a database of information about each case. To date, the pro bono program and its active volunteer attorneys have tried more than 1,900 cases in several South Carolina jurisdictions. The program is continually working to spread to new jurisdictions.
By mid 2007, more than 2,300 cases had been tried through the program with a 73 percent conviction rate.
