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Continuing Education Programs

Meet Your Paralegal Instructors

All of our Paralegal instructors are licensed, practicing attorneys selected for their legal expertise and teaching ability.

My instructor was great! He was always open to making time for all questions and his wit and teaching manner kept the class interesting.

Anthony Charles

Anthony Charles - Family Law

Anthony was born in Durham, NC and raised in Spartanburg, SC. He was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 2009.  Anthony received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Carolina in 2004. He graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2008. Also in 2008, he completed his master's from Vermont Law School in the study of environmental law and policy. In 2010, Anthony completed the Family Law Trial Institute at the South Texas College of Law in Houston, TX, which is a nine day, intensive trial advocacy course designed to improve the courtroom skills of family court attorneys.  Always drawn to mediation as an effective tool in helping families save money and alleviate stress, Anthony completed the family court mediation training program required by the ADR rules in July of 2014.  Effective July 21, 2014, the South Carolina Board of Arbitrator and Mediator Certification has certified that he is approved to serve as family court mediator.     Anthony has always been a firm and passionate believer in the mediation process and in April of 2020, Anthony made the decision to dedicate his practice and career solely to family court mediation. His premier goal and guiding principle is helping South Carolina families put litigation in the rear view mirror.  Anthony has presented on Mediation topics at the South Carolina Bar Family Court Hot Tips Seminar as well as the South Carolina Association for Justice annual conference. 

Kate Crater

Kate Crater - Legal Research and Writing

Kate Herbein Crater is the Deputy Chief Staff Attorney with the South Carolina Court of Appeals. Along with the Chief Staff Attorney, Kate manages a central staff of fifteen attorneys, researches and analyzes legal issues before the court, presents motions and other legal issues to the judges, drafts opinions and orders, and handles emergency motions and petitions. Kate completed her undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina, where she graduated with distinction. She went on to graduate cum laude from the University of South Carolina School of Law. In law school, Kate worked as the Research Editor for the South Carolina Law Review, was a member of the pro bono board, and was selected to join both the Order of the Coif and the Order of the Wig and Robe. Kate received CALI awards in Bankruptcy and Legal & Equitable Remedies. 

Brook Dangerfield

Brook Dangerfield - Contract Law

Brook Dangerfield was born and raised in Aiken, SC. He graduated from USC Aiken in 2005 and Barry School of Law in Orlando, FL, in 2008. After passing the SC bar exam, he began practicing law as a real estate closing attorney and did so for the next three years. In late 2011, he joined the creditor’s rights/debt collection law firm of Brock & Scott, PLLC, where he is still employed. Although he has handled all aspects of foreclosure cases, his focus is on uncontested foreclosure hearings. He lives in the city of Columbia with his wife, three children and two cats.  

Patrick McCabe

Patrick A. McCabe -   Introduction to Law

Patrick A. McCabe, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio worked as a firefighter/ paramedic before receiving his Bachelor of Science from the University of Cincinnati in 2005. Patrick received his Juris Doctor from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2009 where he was a member of Delta Theta Phi legal fraternity and served as President of the Student Bar Association. Admitted to the South Carolina Bar in 2011, Patrick’s main areas of practice are collections and foreclosure law. He currently resides in Irmo with his wife and four children.

Sam Phillips

Robert "Sam" Phillips - Tort Law and Personal Injury

Robert B. “Sam” Phillips has taught various course for the university’s Continuing Education Programs since 2010. Since 2015, Sam has operated his own litigation firm - The Phillips Firm LLC, Attorney & Counselor at Law – specializing in all types of personal and business torts. He previously served at as the director of the Certificate of Need (CON) Program with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and as the Staff Judge Advocate for the South Carolina State Guard. Prior to joining DHEC, Mr. Phillips was a trial and appellate lawyer with the Finkel Law Firm, LLC where he maintained a state-wide practice focusing on business disputes, construction defects, contract law, personal injury, probate, product liability and real property matters. He also served as lead or co-lead counsel in several tort class actions. Mr. Phillips began his legal career clerking for the Honorable Jasper M. Cureton with the South Carolina Court of Appeals. Before attending law school, Mr. Phillips served as an Armor and Cavalry Officer with the United States Army in Europe and the Middle East. He also worked for Marathon Oil Company as a district manager where he represented the company in environmental, unemployment and workers compensation matters.

Derek Shoemake

Derek A. Shoemake -   Civil Litigation

Derek A. Shoemake has taught in the University of South Carolina's paralegal certification program since 2010. He currently teaches Civil Litigation, and has taught both Introduction to Law and Legal Writing. Derek, an experienced litigator, works as an attorney at Simmons Law Firm and has represented clients – both corporate and individual – before state and federal courts. In addition to his litigation experience, Derek has authored several legal articles in a variety of publications and clerked for two federal judges in the District of South Carolina: the Honorable G. Ross Anderson, Jr. and the Honorable R. Bryan Harwell. Derek further distinguished himself in law school, where he served on the South Carolina Law Review and was a member of the Order of the Coif. Before law school, Derek worked as an editor for The Item, a newspaper in Sumter, S.C., worked as a defense contractor for the General Dynamics Corporation, and served in the United States Marine Corps until his honorable discharge as a Sergeant. During his time in service, Derek received several decorations, including five Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals. When not practicing law, Derek serves as a Commissioner on the South Carolina Athletic Commission and serves on the Board of Directors for Lutheran Services Carolinas, a non-profit organization whose mission includes providing refugee resettlement services, housing for homeless veterans, retirement communities, and foster care and adoption services. Derek also enjoys spending time with his wife and their two children.

Ed Smith

Edgar Smith, Jr. - Career Preparation

Ed currently serves as Civil Frauds Investigator, Department of Justice, United States Attorney’s Office, District of South Carolina. Ed is presently pursuing his Master’s Degree in Law Firm Management at the George Washington University, College of Professional Studies. His anticipated graduation date is December 2015. Ed graduated Magna Cum Laude from South University, Columbia, SC 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies. Ed retired from the United States Navy with 20 years of service in 2004. His military career culminated with him serving as the Personnel Officer for the Naval Reserve Center, Columbia where he supervised training and administration in the support of over 300 naval reservists. Ed began his current career in the Civil Division of the US Attorney’s Office as a Paralegal Specialist where he primarily worked on Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE) and Health Care Fraud cases. In 2008 he became the Legal Support Manager for the Criminal Division where he supervised thirteen Legal Assistants and Paralegals in support of the government’s prosecution of federal crimes in the state of South Carolina. In 2010, Ed became the District of South Carolina’s District Office Security Manager with the responsibility of personal and physical safety and security for employees of the US Attorney’s Office. In 2011, Ed received his warrant and appointment as a United States Contracting Officer where he administers the contracts of expert witnesses for the government. Ed also serves on the Paralegal Advisory Board at South University, as Treasurer of Second Calvary Baptist Church and as a high school football official and member of the South Carolina Football Official’s Association.

 

 I thoroughly enjoyed this program. The instructors were very professional and well-prepared. The presentation of the material was very informative. Excellent!

 

 

 


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