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HON. ROCHELLE Y. CONITS attended Lander University in Greenwood and earned her B.S. degree at the University of South Carolina in 1987. In 1992, Judge Conits graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law. After law school, Judge Conits worked as an associate attorney for King & Vernon, P.A., Columbia, South Carolina, where she practiced until December 1996. Her family relocated to Greenville, South Carolina in January 1997, and she joined Wilkins & Madden, P.A. as an associate attorney, becoming partner in that firm in March 2000. In February 2006, Judge Conits was elected to the South Carolina Family Court bench and sits in Greenville County. She is an active member of the South Carolina Bar where she served on the Family Court Task Force and the Family Law Council. HON. TOMMY B. EDWARDS earned his B.A. degree from Presbyterian College and his J.D. degree from the University of South Carolina. He was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in November of 1976 and the Montana Bar in 1977 and is admitted to practice in the Federal District Courts of South Carolina and Montana and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Court. Judge Edwards was assistant attorney general under Attorney General Dan McLeod from 1979 until 1982. He then came back to the upcountry of South Carolina to work with the firm of Larry C. Brandt, P.A., Walhalla, and as part-time assistant solicitor for Oconee County under Solicitor George Ducworth. He became a full-time deputy solicitor in 1986. Judge Edwards is a graduate of the National College of District Attorneys' Career Prosecutor Course and served as a faculty advisor for the career prosecutor course in 1986. He was elected to the family court bench in 1991 and has served continuously since that time. HON. ROBERT N. JENKINS SR. entered the Citadel, Military College of South Carolina in 1969 as a full-time veteran student and graduated in 1972 with a B.A. degree in political science. He received his J.D. degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1975. From 1976 through 1979, he worked as a staff attorney for the Charleston-based legal aid office. During this period Judge Jenkins served a heavy client caseload and practiced law in the Circuit and Family courts of Charleston, Berkeley and Williamsburg counties, while at the same time pioneering the coordination of the expansion of local-based legal aid offices for the counties of Marion, Horry, Williamsburg, Georgetown, Dorchester, Colleton, Berkeley, Jasper and Beaufort. From 1979 through 1996, he served as the director and chief attorney for the Greenville-based legal aid office, later known as Legal Services Agency of Western Carolina, Inc. In that position he would pioneer the expansion of local-based legal aid offices for Pickens, Anderson, Abbeville, Oconee, Greenwood, McCormick, and Edgefield counties. While in his director position for Legal Services Agency of Western Carolina, Inc., Judge Jenkins also pioneered the establishment of a program named "Libra Society" to enable private lawyers to give free, pro bono legal services to poor people who could not be helped through the legal aid offices. Judge Jenkins is a member of the South Carolina Bar, Greenville County Bar, American Bar Association and National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges. In 1996, the General Assembly of The State of South Carolina elected Attorney Robert N. Jenkins, Sr. to judge of the Circuit Family Court of the 13th Judicial Circuit, Seat #5, where he continues to give service to equal justice under law to all South Carolina citizens. HON. ALVIN D. JOHNSON attended North Greenville College in Tigerville, South Carolina and graduated from North Greenville with an associate's degree in general studies. After leaving North Greenville, Judge Johnson attended Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in history and government, summa cum laude, from Wofford College. After graduation from Wofford, he attended the University of South Carolina School of Law where he received his J.D. degree in 1986. After graduation from law school, Judge Johnson joined the law firm of Acker, Acker, Floyd and Welmaker in Pickens, South Carolina. In 1991, he was made a partner in the firm and it was known as Acker, Welmaker, Floyd and Johnson. In 1989, he was elected president of the Pickens County Bar Association and served in this capacity until 1991. In February of 1996, Judge Johnson was elected by the South Carolina General Assembly to the position of resident family court judge for the 13th Judicial Circuit. He has served in this position continuously until the present date. His resident chambers are in Pickens, South Carolina. Judge Johnson is a member of the South Carolina Bar Association and the Pickens County Bar Association. HON. ALEX KINLAW JR. earned his B.A. degree in Political Science in 1975 from the University of South Carolina. He earned his J.D. degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1978 and also graduated from the National College of Criminal Defense Lawyers in1981. From 1978 to1980, Judge Kinlaw worked as an attorney with the South Carolina Legal Services Program in Greenville County and was instrumental in the creation of satellite offices in Greenwood and Anderson counties. From 1980 to1981, he worked as assistant public defender for Greenville County and during his tenure there became a death penalty certified defense attorney and has handled five death penalty cases as lead counsel during his 30 year legal career. Judge Kinlaw is a member of the South Carolina Bar, the Greenville County Bar, the National Bar Association and the Donald James Sampson Bar Association. He is admitted to practice in all South Carolina courts, the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina and the U.S. Supreme Court. In February 2009 the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina elected Alex Kinlaw, Jr. to judge of the Family Court of the 13th Judicial Circuit, Seat # 6. HON. EDGAR H. LONG JR. attended Erskine College. After college, Judge Long earned a Masters in Public Administration in 1977, and was accepted to USC Law School in 1978. He received his degree from law school in 1981, and was admitted to the South Carolina Bar that same year. Judge Long began his legal career with Legal Services Agency of Western Carolina, in 1982, where he was employed for two years. He then began work for the 10th Circuit Solicitor's Office, where he was an assistant solicitor assigned primarily to Family Court handling all juvenile and D.S.S. cases. In 1986, he accepted a position with the Anderson Law firm of Chapman, King and Byrholdt. He worked with that firm until 1993, when he opened the law firm of Long & Smith, along with his partner, G. W. King Smith. The law firm of Long & Smith expanded in 2003 to include Mike Burrell, and they continued to practice together until 2006. From that time until his election to the bench, Judge Long worked as a solo practitioner. In February of 2009, he was elected by the General Assembly of South Carolina to fill the unexpired term of the Honorable Barry W. Knobel. HON. PHILLIP K. SINCLAIR earned a B.A. degree in English from Wofford College and his J.D. degree in 1978 from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He was admitted to the South Carolina Bar that same year. Judge Sinclair first worked as a law clerk to a Circuit Court judge. He then worked as an assistant solicitor for almost three years. Since 1982, he has been in private law practice where he has practiced primarily in the Family Court. He served for a number of years on the Spartanburg County Family Court Committee. Judge Sinclair is a member of the Spartanburg County Bar, the South Carolina Bar and the American Bar Association. He served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2001 until 2006, where he was chairman of the Special Laws Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee. He now serves as Family Court judge for Circuit 7 located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. MODERATOR - THOMAS HODGES has been in private practice as an attorney since his admission to the South Carolina Bar in 1987. He has practiced exclusively in the area of family and matrimonial law since 2003. Mr. Hodges was most recently a partner in the law firm Robertson and Hodges, LLC until opening a solo practice in June 2010. He has an "AV" rating with Martindale-Hubbell. The "AV" rating is the highest rating given to attorneys by their peers recognizing him at the highest level of professional excellence. Mr. Hodges has also been selected by his South Carolina peers as a "Super Lawyer" in the area of family law. He is a member of the Greenville County Bar and the South Carolina Bar. Mr. Hodges earned his B.S. and J.D. degrees from the University of South Carolina.
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