SC Bar to honor Pro Bono Award winner at Bar Foundation Gala
January 15, 2015
The SC Bar will bestow the 2015 Pro Bono Award upon John E. Robinson of Charleston for his contributions to meeting the civil legal needs of citizens who cannot afford the services of an attorney. The award will be presented during the SC Bar Foundation Gala on Jan. 24 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
Mr. Robinson earned his Bachelor of Arts from Clemson University and his Juris Doctor from the Charleston School of Law in 2007. Upon graduation, Mr. Robinson became an associate and later a partner at McDowell & Robinson, Attorneys at Law. His practice focuses on property and estate-related litigation.
His pro bono involvement includes the Pro Bono Appellate Defense Project, the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Domestic Violence Prosecution Program and pro bono counsel for Farmers, Farm Employees, and Heirs’ Property Owners in the Lowcountry.
“He manages these bar-sanctioned pro bono activities alongside countless other individual pro bono cases he has accepted over the years, dating back to his earliest days as a member of our Bar,” said Cameron J. Blazer, Robinson’s colleague. “The list is truly impressive.”
In 2010, after pursuing a personal injury case ultimately found to be without legal merit, Mr. Robinson discovered that his client, who was mentally and physically disabled, was the victim of theft or misappropriation of disability benefits by his mother for many years. John obtained a guardian ad litem, and then a permanent guardianship and conservatorship, for the client, enabling him to move into an assisted living facility and to retain his own disability funds for his benefit.
In 2011, Mr. Robinson obtained judgment for a homeowner who had paid an unlicensed contractor $30,000, was left with incomplete repairs on the home, and had to expend more money to fix the work the contractor did not do or did improperly. John ultimately obtained judgment in the plaintiff’s favor.
In 2014, John assisted a grandmother in obtaining custody of her learning-disabled grandchild where the grandchild’s natural parents had given her de facto custody rights over time. John was able to obtain an order declaring the grandmother a psychological parent.
These cases represent only a portion of the long list of Mr. Robinson’s pro bono activities since his admission to the Bar. Since 2008, John has accepted pro bono cases dealing with property and estates, non-profit organizations, personal injury, landlord-tenant issues, family law and more.
Mr. Robinson is active in his community as the president of the Charleston School of Law Alumni Board and a member of the Clemson Alumni National Council. He is also the secretary of the Society of St. Thomas and St. Denis, a member of the Charleston County Board of Assessment Appeals, a member of the SC Bar Voices Against Violence Committee and serves as a mentor for Charleston School of Law students.
“John Robinson exemplifies the call to service that draws so many to the practice of law—would that all of us answer that call so forcefully and dutifully,” said Blazer. “I am proud to call him a friend and colleague, and I believe he truly deserves the accolade of Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year.”
The SC Bar Pro Bono Award is presented annually to a lawyer who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to volunteer legal services for the poor and disadvantaged. These services ensure that representation is provided to individuals and families in need of free civil legal assistance.
The South Carolina Bar, which has a membership of more than 15,000 lawyers, is dedicated to advancing justice, professionalism and understanding of the law.
