Legal Associate Jobs in South Carolina
Legal Associate jobs in South Carolina are concentrated in Columbia, Charleston, and Greenville, where law firms, corporate legal departments, and state agencies maintain steady demand for associates skilled in litigation support, corporate transactions, and regulatory compliance. Established employers with a lasting presence in the state include Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough, Nexsen Pruet, and the South Carolina Department of Justice. Openings range from entry-level research roles at regional firms to experienced positions supporting in-house counsel at major manufacturers and financial institutions. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Job Responsibilities
The South Carolina Department of Commerce seeks a highly experienced, practical, and strategic attorney to serve as Chief Legal Counsel. This position provides a unique opportunity to help shape South Carolina's economic future. The Chief Legal Counsel serves at the center of transformational economic development projects, infrastructure investments, incentive programs, and public-private partnerships that create jobs and strengthen communities throughout the state. The position plays a key role in advising executive leadership on some of the state's most significant business recruitment, expansion, and infrastructure initiatives.
This role serves as the chief legal advisor to the Secretary of Commerce, Deputy Secretary of Commerce, executive leadership team, and agency divisions on legal, governance, compliance, transactional, operational, and risk-related matters affecting the agency and its economic development mission.
The Chief Legal Counsel also provides or coordinates legal support, as appropriate, for affiliated, related, or supported entities and public bodies, including the South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority, the Coordinating Council for Economic Development, and Palmetto Railways. This includes legal matters connected to economic development projects, public infrastructure, grant programs, incentive programs, bond-financed projects, board and council governance, contracts, statutory compliance, public accountability, and intergovernmental approvals.
The role supports the legal, governance, transactional, and operational enterprise architecture behind economic development activity in South Carolina, including incentives, infrastructure, grants, bonds, affiliated-entity coordination, public accountability, risk management, and executive decision-making.
This is a senior executive advisory role. The Chief Legal Counsel is expected to be a contributing member of the executive leadership team as we make agency executive decisions. Additionally provide proactive, enterprise-level legal support that helps the agency anticipate risk, strengthen internal processes, support operational decision-making, and execute its economic development mission with appropriate legal discipline. While many matters will require timely legal review in response to project needs, public inquiries, contracts, board or council actions, or external requests, the Chief Legal Counsel is also expected to help strengthen the agency’s legal frameworks, governance practices, documentation standards, and decision pathways.
The successful candidate must understand the intersection of law, public policy, economic development, confidentiality, transparency, public finance, incentives, contracts, ethics, procurement, legislative activity, and executive decision-making. This position requires sound legal judgment, discretion, business acumen, political awareness, strong communication skills, and the ability to help the agency move forward responsibly in a fast-paced, high-profile public-sector environment.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Serves as the chief legal advisor to the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, executive leadership team, and agency divisions on legal matters affecting agency operations, economic development strategy, governance, compliance, transactions, public policy, and enterprise risk.
Provides practical, timely, and business-minded legal guidance that supports the agency’s mission while protecting the legal, financial, operational, and reputational interests of the State.
Advises agency leadership on matters involving statutory authority, agency discretion, confidentiality, ethics, public accountability, interagency coordination, public-sector approvals, and appropriate decision-making processes. Consults with Human Resources regarding matters pertaining to personnel decisions, workplace policies, and administrative guidance.
Provides legal review and guidance on economic development projects, incentive agreements, grant agreements, infrastructure matters, project commitments, confidentiality agreements, nondisclosure agreements, public finance matters, ED Bonds, qualifying projects, closing documents, and related transaction materials.
Works with project managers, incentives staff, finance staff, grants staff, community development staff, local governments, and external partners to ensure project-related commitments are legally supportable, clearly documented, properly authorized, and consistent with applicable law and agency policy.
Provides or coordinates legal support, as appropriate, for the Coordinating Council for Economic Development, the South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority, Palmetto Railways, and other affiliated, related, or supported entities.
Advises on Coordinating Council matters, including grant applications, Enterprise Program applications, state ceiling allocation petitions, contractual matters, policy issues, agenda items, board or council actions, statutory authority, and compliance requirements.
Oversees legal review of agency contracts, procurement matters, professional service agreements, interagency agreements, memoranda of understanding, partnership agreements, leases, amendments, vendor disputes, and other binding instruments.
Advises on governance, ethics, public records, public meetings, confidentiality, records retention, internal controls, delegation authority, approval pathways, legislative oversight, audit activity, and other public accountability matters.
Oversees and coordinates the agency’s response to Freedom of Information Act requests and other public records matters, including matters involving confidential economic development information, project-sensitive information, exemptions, legal privileges, and disclosure obligations.
Monitors and stays current on state, federal, and industry-specific economic development trends, legislation, policies, programs, and emerging issues. Reviews relevant news and developments to identify potential impacts on the agency, stakeholders, and economic development initiatives, as well as best practices to support informed decision making and strategic perspective to leadership.
Coordinates with the Attorney General’s Office, outside counsel, agency leadership, and relevant divisions on litigation, administrative proceedings, claims, subpoenas, investigations, protests, appeals, document preservation, settlement considerations, and other disputed matters.
Provides legal analysis, research, and counsel on proposed legislation, regulations, executive orders, provisos, policy proposals, agency initiatives, legislative inquiries, and other governmental actions affecting the agency.
Maintains effective working relationships with outside counsel, the Attorney General’s Office, staff of the Joint Bond Review Committee, the State Fiscal Accountability Authority, local governments, and other public entities whose review, approval, or coordination may be necessary for agency projects, transactions, or legal matters.
Leads the agency’s legal function, including supervision of one (1) legal staff or shared legal resources, assignment and prioritization of legal work, management of outside counsel, staff development, performance management, and improvement of legal intake, documentation, templates, workflows, and escalation processes.
Develops practical tools, templates, guidance, protocols, and internal processes to help agency staff understand legal requirements, improve consistency, support timely decision-making, and reduce preventable legal risk.
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Strong knowledge of public sector law, administrative law, contracts, procurement, ethics, public records, public meetings, confidentiality, governance, compliance, and risk management.
Knowledge of economic development project structures, incentive programs, grant administration, public finance tools, bond-related approvals, state ceiling allocation processes, infrastructure agreements, and related statutory requirements.
Ability to advise senior executives, public bodies, agency divisions, and affiliated entities on sensitive matters involving confidentiality, transparency, ethics, statutory authority, political visibility, public accountability, and reputational risk.
Ability to manage multiple high-priority legal matters, stakeholders, and competing interests in a fast-paced executive environment.
Excellent communication, negotiation, drafting, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to explain complex legal issues to diverse audiences.
Demonstrated judgment, integrity, discretion, and the ability to develop practical, legally sound solutions that advance organizational objectives.
Minimum and Additional Requirements
Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
Active license to practice law and good standing with the South Carolina Bar, or eligibility to obtain admission within a defined period after appointment.
Significant experience practicing law in a public sector, corporate, economic development, government affairs, transactional, administrative, regulatory, public finance, or related environment.
Experience advising senior executives, elected officials, public boards, governmental entities, corporations, authorities, or complex organizations.
Experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex agreements.
Experience managing sensitive, confidential, high-profile, or time-sensitive legal matters.
Experience providing legal advice involving contracts, statutory interpretation, public-sector compliance, governance, risk management, or administrative matters.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience working within or in collaboration with one or more of the following entities: a state agency, cabinet agency, public authority, economic development organization, attorney general’s office, governor’s office, legislative body, local government, or other quasi-governmental organization.
Experience in economic development is preferred, particularly in areas such as incentives, grant agreements, infrastructure agreements, site development, public finance, tax incentives, bond-financed projects, workforce agreements, real estate, utilities, permitting, or business recruitment projects.
Experience advising a public-sector entity, to include but not limited to, state agency, authority, coordinating council, public finance body, local government, or quasi-governmental entity on matters involving economic development incentives, bond-financed projects, grant programs, public infrastructure, contracts, procurement, public records, ethics, and intergovernmental approvals.
Experience working withone or more of the following: advising boards, councils, authorities, commissions, or public financing bodies, including preparation of legal materials, meeting support, statutory compliance review, and documentation of official actions.
Experience managing outside counsel and coordinating legal strategy across multiple public entities, affiliated organizations, and external stakeholders.
Experience supervising attorneys, paralegals, legal support staff, or shared legal resources in a complex public-sector or enterprise environment.
Familiarity with the balance between confidentiality in economic development and transparency obligations in public service.
Experience with FOIA, public records, public meetings, procurement, ethics, administrative law, state budgeting, appropriations, or legislative processes.
Additional Comments
The South Carolina Department of Commerce offers an exceptional benefit package for full-time and temporary grant positions that include:
- Health, Dental, Vision, Long Term Disability, and Life Insurance for Employee, Spouse and Children.
- 15 days annual (vacation) leave per year.
- 15 days of sick leave per year.
- 13 paid holidays.
- State Retirement Pension and 401K Plans
- Deferred Compensation Programs
- Paid Parental Leave
Job Responsibilities
The South Carolina Department of Commerce seeks a highly experienced, practical, and strategic attorney to serve as Chief Legal Counsel. This position provides a unique opportunity to help shape South Carolina's economic future. The Chief Legal Counsel serves at the center of transformational economic development projects, infrastructure investments, incentive programs, and public-private partnerships that create jobs and strengthen communities throughout the state. The position plays a key role in advising executive leadership on some of the state's most significant business recruitment, expansion, and infrastructure initiatives.
This role serves as the chief legal advisor to the Secretary of Commerce, Deputy Secretary of Commerce, executive leadership team, and agency divisions on legal, governance, compliance, transactional, operational, and risk-related matters affecting the agency and its economic development mission.
The Chief Legal Counsel also provides or coordinates legal support, as appropriate, for affiliated, related, or supported entities and public bodies, including the South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority, the Coordinating Council for Economic Development, and Palmetto Railways. This includes legal matters connected to economic development projects, public infrastructure, grant programs, incentive programs, bond-financed projects, board and council governance, contracts, statutory compliance, public accountability, and intergovernmental approvals.
The role supports the legal, governance, transactional, and operational enterprise architecture behind economic development activity in South Carolina, including incentives, infrastructure, grants, bonds, affiliated-entity coordination, public accountability, risk management, and executive decision-making.
This is a senior executive advisory role. The Chief Legal Counsel is expected to be a contributing member of the executive leadership team as we make agency executive decisions. Additionally provide proactive, enterprise-level legal support that helps the agency anticipate risk, strengthen internal processes, support operational decision-making, and execute its economic development mission with appropriate legal discipline. While many matters will require timely legal review in response to project needs, public inquiries, contracts, board or council actions, or external requests, the Chief Legal Counsel is also expected to help strengthen the agency’s legal frameworks, governance practices, documentation standards, and decision pathways.
The successful candidate must understand the intersection of law, public policy, economic development, confidentiality, transparency, public finance, incentives, contracts, ethics, procurement, legislative activity, and executive decision-making. This position requires sound legal judgment, discretion, business acumen, political awareness, strong communication skills, and the ability to help the agency move forward responsibly in a fast-paced, high-profile public-sector environment.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Serves as the chief legal advisor to the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, executive leadership team, and agency divisions on legal matters affecting agency operations, economic development strategy, governance, compliance, transactions, public policy, and enterprise risk.
Provides practical, timely, and business-minded legal guidance that supports the agency’s mission while protecting the legal, financial, operational, and reputational interests of the State.
Advises agency leadership on matters involving statutory authority, agency discretion, confidentiality, ethics, public accountability, interagency coordination, public-sector approvals, and appropriate decision-making processes. Consults with Human Resources regarding matters pertaining to personnel decisions, workplace policies, and administrative guidance.
Provides legal review and guidance on economic development projects, incentive agreements, grant agreements, infrastructure matters, project commitments, confidentiality agreements, nondisclosure agreements, public finance matters, ED Bonds, qualifying projects, closing documents, and related transaction materials.
Works with project managers, incentives staff, finance staff, grants staff, community development staff, local governments, and external partners to ensure project-related commitments are legally supportable, clearly documented, properly authorized, and consistent with applicable law and agency policy.
Provides or coordinates legal support, as appropriate, for the Coordinating Council for Economic Development, the South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority, Palmetto Railways, and other affiliated, related, or supported entities.
Advises on Coordinating Council matters, including grant applications, Enterprise Program applications, state ceiling allocation petitions, contractual matters, policy issues, agenda items, board or council actions, statutory authority, and compliance requirements.
Oversees legal review of agency contracts, procurement matters, professional service agreements, interagency agreements, memoranda of understanding, partnership agreements, leases, amendments, vendor disputes, and other binding instruments.
Advises on governance, ethics, public records, public meetings, confidentiality, records retention, internal controls, delegation authority, approval pathways, legislative oversight, audit activity, and other public accountability matters.
Oversees and coordinates the agency’s response to Freedom of Information Act requests and other public records matters, including matters involving confidential economic development information, project-sensitive information, exemptions, legal privileges, and disclosure obligations.
Monitors and stays current on state, federal, and industry-specific economic development trends, legislation, policies, programs, and emerging issues. Reviews relevant news and developments to identify potential impacts on the agency, stakeholders, and economic development initiatives, as well as best practices to support informed decision making and strategic perspective to leadership.
Coordinates with the Attorney General’s Office, outside counsel, agency leadership, and relevant divisions on litigation, administrative proceedings, claims, subpoenas, investigations, protests, appeals, document preservation, settlement considerations, and other disputed matters.
Provides legal analysis, research, and counsel on proposed legislation, regulations, executive orders, provisos, policy proposals, agency initiatives, legislative inquiries, and other governmental actions affecting the agency.
Maintains effective working relationships with outside counsel, the Attorney General’s Office, staff of the Joint Bond Review Committee, the State Fiscal Accountability Authority, local governments, and other public entities whose review, approval, or coordination may be necessary for agency projects, transactions, or legal matters.
Leads the agency’s legal function, including supervision of one (1) legal staff or shared legal resources, assignment and prioritization of legal work, management of outside counsel, staff development, performance management, and improvement of legal intake, documentation, templates, workflows, and escalation processes.
Develops practical tools, templates, guidance, protocols, and internal processes to help agency staff understand legal requirements, improve consistency, support timely decision-making, and reduce preventable legal risk.
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Strong knowledge of public sector law, administrative law, contracts, procurement, ethics, public records, public meetings, confidentiality, governance, compliance, and risk management.
Knowledge of economic development project structures, incentive programs, grant administration, public finance tools, bond-related approvals, state ceiling allocation processes, infrastructure agreements, and related statutory requirements.
Ability to advise senior executives, public bodies, agency divisions, and affiliated entities on sensitive matters involving confidentiality, transparency, ethics, statutory authority, political visibility, public accountability, and reputational risk.
Ability to manage multiple high-priority legal matters, stakeholders, and competing interests in a fast-paced executive environment.
Excellent communication, negotiation, drafting, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to explain complex legal issues to diverse audiences.
Demonstrated judgment, integrity, discretion, and the ability to develop practical, legally sound solutions that advance organizational objectives.
Minimum and Additional Requirements
Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
Active license to practice law and good standing with the South Carolina Bar, or eligibility to obtain admission within a defined period after appointment.
Significant experience practicing law in a public sector, corporate, economic development, government affairs, transactional, administrative, regulatory, public finance, or related environment.
Experience advising senior executives, elected officials, public boards, governmental entities, corporations, authorities, or complex organizations.
Experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex agreements.
Experience managing sensitive, confidential, high-profile, or time-sensitive legal matters.
Experience providing legal advice involving contracts, statutory interpretation, public-sector compliance, governance, risk management, or administrative matters.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience working within or in collaboration with one or more of the following entities: a state agency, cabinet agency, public authority, economic development organization, attorney general’s office, governor’s office, legislative body, local government, or other quasi-governmental organization.
Experience in economic development is preferred, particularly in areas such as incentives, grant agreements, infrastructure agreements, site development, public finance, tax incentives, bond-financed projects, workforce agreements, real estate, utilities, permitting, or business recruitment projects.
Experience advising a public-sector entity, to include but not limited to, state agency, authority, coordinating council, public finance body, local government, or quasi-governmental entity on matters involving economic development incentives, bond-financed projects, grant programs, public infrastructure, contracts, procurement, public records, ethics, and intergovernmental approvals.
Experience working withone or more of the following: advising boards, councils, authorities, commissions, or public financing bodies, including preparation of legal materials, meeting support, statutory compliance review, and documentation of official actions.
Experience managing outside counsel and coordinating legal strategy across multiple public entities, affiliated organizations, and external stakeholders.
Experience supervising attorneys, paralegals, legal support staff, or shared legal resources in a complex public-sector or enterprise environment.
Familiarity with the balance between confidentiality in economic development and transparency obligations in public service.
Experience with FOIA, public records, public meetings, procurement, ethics, administrative law, state budgeting, appropriations, or legislative processes.
Additional Comments
The South Carolina Department of Commerce offers an exceptional benefit package for full-time and temporary grant positions that include:
- Health, Dental, Vision, Long Term Disability, and Life Insurance for Employee, Spouse and Children.
- 15 days annual (vacation) leave per year.
- 15 days of sick leave per year.
- 13 paid holidays.
- State Retirement Pension and 401K Plans
- Deferred Compensation Programs
- Paid Parental Leave
See All 21 Legal Associate Jobs in South Carolina
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Find Legal Associate JobsLegal Associate Jobs by City in South Carolina
Where South Carolina roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Legal Associate Job Market in South Carolina
A snapshot from current South Carolina openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Ashcraft & Gerel Law Firm and George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers3A
- Ricoh2
- McLeod Health2
- State of South Carolina2
- J.S. Held1
Top Industries Hiring
- Manufacturing3
- Healthcare & Medical Services3
- Technology & Software2
- Electronics & Hardware2
- Medical Devices1
What South Carolina Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in legal associate jobs across South Carolina.
- Active membership in good standing with the South Carolina State Bar
- Juris Doctor degree from an ABA-accredited law school
- Experience drafting legal documents, contracts, or pleadings
- Strong research and writing skills using Westlaw or Lexis Nexis
- Familiarity with South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure and court filing systems
- Ability to manage multiple matters under supervision in a fast-paced environment
Legal Associate Jobs in South Carolina: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a legal associate in South Carolina?
To work as a legal associate in South Carolina, you must earn a Juris Doctor from an ABA-accredited law school and pass the South Carolina Bar Examination, administered by the South Carolina Board of Law Examiners. After passing, you apply for admission to the South Carolina State Bar before practicing. Some paralegals and law clerks work in legal associate support roles without bar admission, but attorney-level legal associate positions require full bar membership.
How much do legal associates make in South Carolina?
Legal associates in South Carolina earn a median of about $53,880 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $38,020 for the lowest 10% to over $75,640 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire legal associates in South Carolina?
Employers hiring legal associates in South Carolina right now include Ashcraft & Gerel Law Firm and George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers, Ricoh, and McLeod Health, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. South Carolina's mix of regional law firms, state agencies, and corporate legal departments at manufacturers and financial services companies creates a broad range of practice-area openings across the state.
Which South Carolina cities have the most legal associate jobs?
Columbia, North Charleston, and Florence hold the most legal associate openings in South Carolina. Columbia leads because it is the state capital and home to the South Carolina Supreme Court, major state agencies, and a dense concentration of law firms, while Charleston and Greenville reflect strong demand from corporate headquarters, financial institutions, and the manufacturing sector anchored in the Upstate region.
Are there remote legal associate jobs in South Carolina?
Yes, but they are less common than in purely desk-based fields because legal associate work often involves court appearances, client meetings, and in-person depositions. About 36% of legal associate openings tied to South Carolina are remote or hybrid as of July 2026. The tasks most likely to be performed remotely are legal research, document drafting, and contract review for in-house corporate roles.
How can I get hired as a legal associate in South Carolina with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a law clerk or judicial extern position during law school, since South Carolina courts and firms regularly host students from the University of South Carolina School of Law and Charleston School of Law. New graduates can also pursue associate roles at regional firms like Nexsen Pruet and Robinson Gray that run structured first-year associate programs. Passing the South Carolina Bar on the first attempt and demonstrating strong writing through a law review note or writing sample gives candidates a meaningful edge.
Where can I find and apply to legal associate jobs in South Carolina?
You can find and apply to legal associate jobs in South Carolina on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from employers hiring in the state right now. Search the listings to find roles that match your practice area, experience level, and preferred location, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 21 Legal Associate Jobs in South Carolina
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