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Get Support! Meet the Carolina Law Office of Student Affairs

On behalf of the Office of Student Affairs, welcome to the University of South Carolina School of Law! My name is Megan Seiner, and I am the Director of Student Affairs. This is my second year as the Director. Prior to joining Student Affairs, I was a member of our Career Services team. I am originally from New Jersey and practiced law in Washington DC before relocating to South Carolina in 2007. I am happy to assist you with anything you need while you are a student.

Aside from me, there are some other great members of the Student Affairs team. It is vital to get to know them as I will be on maternity leave for a good bit of the first semester. I will definitely be available but will not be in full time until later in the fall. The other members of the student affairs team are:

Susan Palmer, Associate Dean for Student Affairs - Many of you will already have gotten to know Dean Palmer when you applied for admission. She oversees the Offices of Admissions, Pro Bono, Career Services and Student Affairs. Dean Palmer is always available for student support, general problem-solving, or to help you find information about University resources. Her email is spalmer@law.sc.edu, and I know she would be glad to hear from any of you if you have questions or concerns.

Tootie Hooks, Assistant to the Director of Student Affairs - Tootie is involved with a number of Student Affairs functions, from helping students find housing to keeping locker assignments and distributing keys to student organization offices. She also maintains student affairs records and helps make sure students get reimbursed after school travel or from organization expenditures. Her email address is athooks@law.sc.edu and phone number is 803-777-2430.

I hope that you will become very familiar with each person in the Student Affairs office in your next three years of law school! The Office of Student Affairs coordinates a number of functions at the law school, including:

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Providing assistance to Students With Disabilities

If you have a disability and require accommodations in your law school classes or have questions about the accommodations that can be provided, please let me or Dean Palmer know as soon as possible. We work with the University Office of Student Disability Services to ensure our disabled students are accommodated as necessary, both in class and on law exams. You should consider registering with the Student Affairs office and the Office of Student Disability Services if you: have a documented disability that significantly affects major life functions; had an IEP in high school, and/or you were registered with Disability Services at your undergraduate institution.

Supporting Student Organizations

The Law School has over 20 student organizations to become involved with from the Student Bar Association to the Women in Law to the Intellectual Property Law Society. Shortly after the beginning of the school year, you will have the opportunity to speak with representatives from each organization at an Organization Fair. The Office of Student Affairs also provides administrative and financial support to the Moot Court Bar, the Mock Trial bar, and the five law school academic journals.

Planning student events

The Office of Student Affairs, in conjunction with the Academic Dean, plans and coordinates First-Year Orientation, as well as Law School Commencement Exercises. Your Orientation schedule will be available soon, so be on the look-out for its arrival! Orientation will be held on Tuesday, August 16th and Wednesday, August 17th, and attendance at Orientation is mandatory. The Law School hosts several social events for students throughout the year from the Welcome Back party to the 3L Graduation Celebration. The Office of Student Affairs also helps with the Student Bar Association's coordination of the Barrister's Ball, Halloween Party, and other events throughout the year.

Offering help with issues that arise outside the classroom

The Student Affairs office is available in times of family crises or personal illness or problems to provide assistance. We are here to help in times of trouble and can coordinate professor notification, refer students to on-campus counseling services, or just serve as a sounding board. If any difficulty arises during your time in law school, please do not hesitate to contact me, Dean Palmer or one of our staff members. We know that any transition to a new city and law school can be intimidating, but we hope to help make that transition as smooth as possible.

I wish all of you the best of luck as you begin your law school career! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I can be reached at seinerm@law.sc.edu or at 803-777-1451. Enjoy the rest of your summer, and again, welcome to the USC Law Community! I look forward to meeting all of you!