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.
Robert "Sam" Phillips - Tort Law and Personal Injury
Robert B. (Sam) Phillips currently serves as the Director of the Certificate of Need
(CON) Program with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
(DHEC). Mr. Phillips also serves as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate General for the
South Carolina State Guard where he represents the Guard and the South Carolina Military
Department in administrative and litigation matters as well as providing legal advice
to their commanders.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Janet B. Haigler - Family Law
Janet B. Haigler is a member of Haigler Law Firm LLC and has practiced in the area
of bankruptcy, creditor rights, and commercial litigation for over twenty years. In
2014, Ms. Haigler was appointed by the Office of the United States Trustee as a Chapter
7 Panel Trustee for the District of South Carolina. Ms. Haigler is certified by the
South Carolina Supreme Court as a Specialist in Bankruptcy and Debtor-Creditor Law.
A frequent lecturer on bankruptcy, she served as a member of the Advisory and Local
Rules Committee for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina
and has been named one of the top attorneys in South Carolina on the Super Lawyers
list. As an adjutant professor, Ms. Haigler has taught legal research, bankruptcy,
and family law. Ms. Haigler can be reached at Haigler Law Firm LLC, Post Office Box
505, Chapin, South Carolina 29036, phone number 803-261-9806.
Lisa M. Hostetler - Contract Law
Lisa Hostetler is Managing Attorney of LawyerLisa, LLC. Her practice concentrates
on real estate law, contract drafting, estate planning, probate and elder law. Lisa
is AV rated and licensed to practice in North and South Carolina. Lisa is the President-Elect
of the Palmetto Land Title Association and former Chair of the Scholarship Committee.
She recently received the 2015 Super Lawyers Rising Star Award, the Influential Women
in Business Rising Star Award, Legal Elite of the Midlands, the State Newspaper’s
20 Under 40 Honor and the 2015 Irmo Chamber New Business of the Year Award.
Jordan T. Stallings - Contract Law
Jordan T. Stallings is an associate attorney with Blair Cato Pickren Casterline, LLC.
Jordan concentrates his practice in real estate matters, including real estate transactions,
contract review and drafting, title issue resolution, and estate planning. While obtaining
dual Bachelor degrees in Real Estate and Finance at the University of South Carolina,
Jordan worked for a number of property management companies in a variety of roles
ranging from leasing and management to sales and marketing. Prior to law school, he
gained extensive lending experience as a loan officer at Carolina Collegiate Federal
Credit Union.
While attending law school at the University of South Carolina, Jordan founded and
became President of the Real Estate Law Society. He also served as a Staff Member
for the Real Property Trust and Estate Law Journal, served on the Graduate Student
Finance Committee, and was a Student Attorney for the Non-Profit Organizations Clinic.
Jordan received CALI awards in Real Estate Transactions, Legal Research and Writing,
Advanced Evidence, and Liberty Seminar. During this time, Jordan was also employed
as a Law Clerk at Rogers Townsend where he went on to become an associate attorney
in the firm’s Real Estate Department.
Cathy Boette - Career Preparation
Cathy Boette is the Director of Professional Programs at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
LLP, where she has worked for more than 30 years. Ms. Boette is responsible for overseeing
the Firm's Paralegal and Policy Advisor Programs and the Firm's Summer Undergraduate
Internship Program.
Ms. Boette is an experienced litigation paralegal with 20 years of experience assisting
on a variety of litigation matters, and she has over 10 years of executive legal management
experience. In her current role, Ms. Boette manages a staff of over 100 paralegals,
policy advisors, nurses, and project assistants throughout the Firm's 14 office locations.
As a senior administrator, Ms. Boette oversees hiring and recruiting, training and
development, and workloads.
Ms. Boette earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Bowling Green State University
in Ohio, and she earned a Paralegal Certificate, with Honors, from the National Center
for Paralegal Training in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ms. Boette serves on the Firm's Paralegal and Policy Advisor Committees and the Firm's
Project Management Task Force. She is a member of the International Practice Management
Association and is the Co-Chair of the Carolinas Chapter. Additionally, Ms. Boette
has served on paralegal program advisory boards, the Palmetto Paralegal Association
Executive Board, and she teaches career seminars to students in The University of
South Carolina Paralegal Certificate Program.
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!