Burnette to receive top award from SC Women Lawyers Association
October 18, 2016
Callison Tighe member M. Malissa Burnette, whose 39-year career has included cases that have precipitated monumental change in South Carolina and the nation, will receive the 2016 Jean Galloway Bissell Award from SC Women Lawyers Association.
The Bissell award is presented annually to an attorney demonstrating distinguished service to the public and to the legal profession, professional excellence, and participation in activities that pave the way for female lawyers to become successful. Past winners include former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Conner and former South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Hoefer Toal, the first women to serve in those positions.
During the course of her career, Burnette has represented clients in landmark cases such as the litigation that secured the right for same-sex couples to legally wed in South Carolina. A Certified Specialist in South Carolina employment law since 1993, Burnette literally wrote the book on that topic. She’s served as a co-author and editor of all four editions of “Labor and Employment Law for South Carolina Lawyers,” a publication of the South Carolina Bar.
Before entering private practice, she worked in the public sector, serving as the chief of staff for Lt. Governor Nancy Stevenson, the first woman elected to statewide office. Burnette fought for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and advocated for women on issues such as domestic violence, equal pay and sexual assault.
She also has served as a mentor and inspiration for numerous women, several of whom submitted letters supporting her nomination for the award. “I can testify firsthand that Malissa brings compassion and a generosity of spirit to mentoring young women lawyers. Despite being incredibly busy practicing law, speaking, writing, serving on boards, and supporting her family, Malissa makes time for others,” Callison Tighe colleague Nekki Shutt wrote.
Burnette’s practice at Callison Tighe focuses on employment law, including workplace discrimination, sex discrimination, civil rights and employee rights under federal laws such as FMLA. She’s also a certified federal court mediator.
The award will be officially presented October 20 at a reception at the Historic Rice Mill in Charleston.
About Callison Tighe & Robinson, LLC
Callison Tighe & Robinson, LLC’s attorneys practice in areas including trials and appeals in all state and federal courts in South Carolina; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Appellate Practice; Banking and Commercial Finance; Business Organizations; Financial Services, Creditor Rights and Bankruptcy; General Litigation; Commercial Real Estate; Employment Law, Employee Benefits and ERISA; Environmental and Regulatory Law; Government Law; Tax, Probate, Trusts and Estates; Title Insurance Litigation; and Workers’ Compensation.
For more information, visit callisontighe.com.
