Charleston Attorney Honored for Dedication to Legal Services
March 10, 2014
CHARLESTON, SC – March 10, 2014 – The South Carolina Bar Foundation and the SC Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission named South Carolina Legal Services’ Kimberly P. Shelton the 2013 Ellen Hines Smith Legal Services Lawyer of the Year. The award will be presented to Shelton by the Bar Foundation and the Commission at the 2014 Bar Foundation Gala on March 21 at The Hall at Senate’s End.
Shelton is a staff attorney at SC Legal Services in Charleston. She received her Bachelor of Arts in biology from the College of Charleston and her Juris Doctor from the Vermont Law School.
After joining SC Legal Services in 2006, Shelton was named the 2010 Attorney Advocate of the Year by the SC Association Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCAADVASA) for her work with victims of domestic violence and their families.
In 2012, Shelton worked in cooperation with the Charleston School of Law and the Charleston County Clerk of Court to create a program to train and supervise volunteer law students each semester in assisting victims of domestic violence in filing for Orders of Protection and representing themselves in Family Court. That same year, she was honored as the SC Legal Services Attorney of the Year.
Shelton also works with the VA Homeless Justice Project and VA Hospital in organizing and conducting legal clinics and providing assistance to low-income veterans.
In her letter of support for Shelton’s nomination, Elmire Raven, executive director of My Sister’s House, Inc. said, I cannot think of a more deserving attorney than Kimberly. She is compassionate and dedicated to providing legal services to domestic violence victims.
Meredith Miller, Veterans Justice Outreach coordinator at the VA Medical Center commented, Mrs. Perdue is deserving of this award by making it her priority to extend legal services to those that would otherwise not have access.
The Ellen Hines Smith Legal Services Lawyer of the Year Award was established in 1989 in memory of Ellen Hines Smith of Spartanburg. The award is presented to recognize a lawyer who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to legal services to the poor in South Carolina.
To make a tribute gift in honor of Ms. Shelton, download the Foundation’s donor form or give online. Tickets for Gala 2014 can be ordered online or via phone at (803) 765-0517.
The South Carolina Bar Foundation funds the advancement of justice by improving access, education and accountability. Since 1987, the Foundation has allocated approximately $45.6 million to various legal-related organizations that work on behalf of the justice community. For more information, visit www.scbarfoundation.org.
