South Carolina Bar names Young Lawyer of the Year
May 6, 2009
COLUMBIA, SC – May 6, 2009 – Columbia attorney L. Michelle Dhunjishah has been named Young Lawyer of the Year by the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division (YLD). The Young Lawyer of the Year Award is given annually to recognize a young lawyer who most exemplifies excellence in practicing law and public service.
The award will be presented on Thursday, May 14 during the Bar’s House of Delegates meeting at the Poinsett Club in Greenville.
Following a career as an Army JAG officer, Dhunjishah entered the arena of children’s law and public policy in 2004. She is general counsel of the Children’s Foster Care Review Board, a role through which she positively impacts the lives of children in courtrooms throughout the state. In her capacity as general counsel, she provides input on draft legislation related to children’s issues, writes and develops policies pertaining to child abuse and neglect and advocates on behalf of children in foster care.
“I have worked with or supervised many in the legal profession who have been employed by the Children’s Foster Care Review Board … but none with [Michelle’s} passion, intelligence and ability to fully utilize her position to influence positive systemic change and improve the way the legal system in South Carolina serves children caught in the web of foster care—the children who have no voice,” said nominator Denise Barker, executive director of the Division of Foster Care Review.
Dhunjishah has also represented South Carolina at meetings of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. In 2008 she was invited to assist in the coordination of a group of judges and professional staff that worked to enhance communication between members of the family court judiciary, DSS legal staff, county social workers and the Children’s Foster Care Review Board. She also serves on the South Carolina Bar’s Children’s Law Committee, as an advisory member to the South Carolina Bench/Bar Committee and has worked extensively with a newly formed, statewide child advocacy group, Children Come First.
“Michelle has been a tenacious and consistent advocate for the best interest of children. In her position as General Counsel, she not only champions these sometimes forgotten children, but also challenges the courts, foster parents and the Department of Social Services to advocate on behalf of our state’s foster children,” said attorney James Fletcher Thompson.
Dhunjishah is also a member of the Bar’s Military Law Section, the S.C. Women Lawyers Association and Trenholm Road United Methodist Church, where she serves on the Safe Sanctuaries Advisory Committee.
The Young Lawyers Division includes all members of the South Carolina Bar under age 36 and those with less than five years membership.
The South Carolina Bar, which has a membership of more than 13,000 lawyers, is dedicated to advancing justice, professionalism and understanding of the law.
