Jean Hoefer Toal
From Judgepedia
| South Carolina Supreme Court |
|---|
|
| Sitting justices |
| Jean Hoefer Toal John Kittredge John Waller Costa Pleicones Donald Beatty |
| Former justices |
| South Carolina on Judgepedia |
Jean Hoefer Toal currently serves as Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court.
Legal Education and Experience
She received her B.A. degree in philosophy in 1965 from Agnes Scott College. She received her J.D. degree in 1968 from the University of South Carolina School of Law where she served as Managing Editor, Leading Articles Editor and Book Review Editor of the South Carolina Law Review. She is a member of the Order of the Coif, Mortar Board and Phi Beta Kappa.
Chief Justice Toal practiced law for 20 years prior to her election to the South Carolina Supreme Court, first as an associate with the Haynsworth Law Firm in Greenville, and then as an associate and partner with Belser, Baker, Barwick, Ravenel, Toal & Bender in Columbia.
Her twenty years as a practicing lawyer included a balance of plaintiff and defense work, criminal trial work, and complex constitutional litigation. She wrote many trial and appellate briefs at all court levels. She also had considerable administrative law experience in litigation involving environmental matters, federal and state procurement, hospital certificates of need, employment matters and election matters.
Beginning in 1975 she served in the South Carolina House of Representatives representing Richland County for 13 years.
Toal began her service on South Carolina's highest court as an Associate Justice on March 17, 1988. She was re-elected in February of 1996 and was installed as Chief Justice on March 23, 2000 for the balance of the term of her predecessor, which expired June 30, 2004. She was re-elected again in February of 2004 and was installed as Chief Justice on June 9, 2004, for a ten-year term.
She is the first and only woman to serve as a Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court.
Associations
Chief Justice Toal currently serves on the board of directors for the National Center for State Courts.
