Former South Carolina Supreme Court justice joins Wyche law firm

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Wyche, a full-service law firm with three offices across South Carolina, has announced that Kaye Hearn, former South Carolina Supreme Court Justice, has joined the firm as special counsel.

Hearn, based in Conway, will serve clients statewide as a member of Wyche’s litigation team, according to a Wyche news release.

 “We are thrilled to welcome Justice Kaye Hearn to the Wyche team as Special Counsel. Her distinguished career on the South Carolina Supreme Court, her leadership in the judiciary, and her commitment to excellence in the legal profession make her an invaluable addition to our firm and our clients,” said Tally Parham Casey, CEO and chair of Wyche, P.A., in the release.

Hearn retired in April of 2023 as a Justice on the South Carolina Supreme Court, according to the release. At the time of her retirement, she was the longest serving member of the South Carolina State Court Judiciary. She was elected to the Supreme Court of South Carolina in May of 2009, becoming only the second woman member in the court's history.

Prior to her election to the state’s highest court, Hearn was a member of the South Carolina Court of Appeals for 15 years, serving as its Chief Judge for 10 years, according to the release.  During her tenure as chief judge, Justice Hearn served as president of the Council of Chief Judges, a nationwide network of chief judges of the intermediate appellate courts.

“Throughout my career in the South Carolina judiciary, I've witnessed Wyche's unwavering dedication to the pursuit of legal excellence and its deep-rooted commitment to the communities it serves. I look forward to bringing my years of experience to the firm and working alongside its talented team to deliver the highest level of legal representation to clients statewide,” said Hearn said in the release.

From 1986 until her election to the Court of Appeals in 1995, she served as a Family Court judge, according to the release. Prior to going on the bench, Hearn was a trial attorney with the firm of Stevens, Stevens, Thomas, Hearn, and Hearn, and served as a member of the South Carolina Board of Bar Examiners.  Immediately upon graduation from law school, she served as law clerk to South Carolina Supreme Court Justice Julius B. Ness.  She is the only former law clerk to return to the Court as a Justice.

Hearn received her bachelor’s, cum laude, from Bethany College and her J.D., cum laude, from the University of South Carolina School of Law. She received an L.L.M. from the University of Virginia’s Graduate Program for Judges; an honorary Doctor of Laws from the Charleston School of Law; an honorary Doctor of Humanities from Francis Marion University; and an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of South Carolina.