USC School of Law honors alumna Becky Laffitte with Platinum Compleat Lawyer Award
May 3, 2023
Becky Laffitte, a member of Robinson Gray law firm, has received the Platinum Compleat Lawyer Award, which is given by the University of South Carolina School of Law Alumni Council to recognize attorneys for outstanding civic and professional accomplishments.
The Compleat Lawyer Awards, established in 1992, are given each year to nine alumni from the law school. The awards are given in three categories, based on years in practice, with the three Platinum Awards given to attorneys practicing 31 years or more. The 2023 awards were presented at the law school’s annual Alumni Awards Reception and Dinner in Columbia on Thursday, April 27.
The selection committee for the award consists of leaders from the highest level of the legal profession in South Carolina, including the chief justice of both the S.C. Supreme Court and S.C. Court of Appeals, the president of the state Bar, the president of the Law School Alumni Council, the president of the Young Alumni Council, and the dean of the USC School of Law. Becky was nominated by multiple people, both in and outside of Robinson Gray.
“The awards are given annually to alumni who have exhibited the highest standards of professional competence, ethics, and integrity and who have demonstrated superior performance in their professional careers,” said law school Dean William Hubbard in a letter telling Becky about the honor. “Your name was put before the committee through the expressed confidence of your peers, led by Elizabeth Van Doren Gray.”
In her nomination letter, Betsy Gray wrote, “In sum, Becky Laffitte is the ‘real deal.’ She is an exceptional trial lawyer, community leader, and all-around superb human being. As a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law, Becky reflects positively on our Law School and the lawyers it trains. No one would be a better ambassador for the Law School and a more representative Compleat Lawyer than Becky Laffitte.”
“Congratulations on this outstanding honor,” Hubbard concluded. “You are most deserving.”
The other two receiving the Platinum award were Ronald C. Scott and William K. Witherspoon, of the classes of 1976 and 1991, respectively.
Becky received her Juris Doctor from the School of Law in 1983. She had graduated from Columbia College in 1977, and earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from USC.
Becky’s diverse litigation practice focuses on disputes involving alternative dispute resolution, construction, dram shops, healthcare, insurance coverage, premises liability, product liability, and commercial transportation and trucking.
She is a fellow of both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the Litigation Counsel of America. She is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel and the American Board of Trial Advocates.
Becky is also a proud member of the John Belton O’Neall Inn of Court and the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN), among other professional associations.
Her community activities have included ten years on the board of trustees of Columbia College (2002-2012), and the presidency of the Junior League of Columbia in 1996.
“This is an honor not only for Becky but for the entire firm,” said Cal Watson, managing member of Robinson Gray. “Everyone involved in this profession in South Carolina knows what a tremendous attorney she is and has long been. It is very gratifying to see her excellence honored in this way.”
About Robinson Gray Stepp & Laffitte, LLC
Located in the BullStreet district, Robinson Gray Stepp & Laffitte, LLC, is a South Carolina law firm that offers a tailored, hands-on approach. It provides business transactional and litigation representation in all state and federal trial and appellate courts in South Carolina. The firm’s 36 attorneys serve clients ranging from multi-national corporations to small businesses and individuals. For more, visit https://robinsongray.com/.
