We are thrilled to announce Melissa F. Spence, attorney and partner at Butler Snow LLP, is our newest member of the CLA Board of Directors.
Melissa Spence is a labor and employment attorney and partner with the Charleston, SC office of Butler Snow LLP. She has negotiated and tried numerous cases to verdict, representing clients in a wide range of industries, and has represented clients before the South Carolina state and district courts, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. Department of Labor and South Carolina Human Affairs Commission. Spence has been recognized for her exemplary work and commitment to the Charleston community with inclusion in the Charleston Regional Business Journal ‘Forty under 40’ list in 2020. She was listed on Best Lawyers in America’s “Ones to Watch” list for Labor and Employment Law – Management in 2020 and 2021. She was also named a South Carolina Rising Stars honoree from 2016 to 2019 and is a graduate of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce Leadership Charleston Class of 2019.
Spence holds a bachelor’s degree with honors from Wofford College and a Juris Doctorate with honors from Charleston School of Law. She serves as general counsel on the Palmetto Society for Human Resource Management board and is the CLE coordinator for the employment and labor law section for the South Carolina Bar Association. She is also a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel, South Carolina Women Lawyers Association, Charleston County Bar Association and South Carolina Federal Bar Association Chapter. She previously served for six years as a board member for Florence Crittenton Programs of South Carolina. Melissa lives in Park Circle with her husband, Sam Spence, and their Boston terrier.
Welcome to the team, Melissa! We are honored to have you join us.
Charleston Legal Access is Charleston's first nonprofit, sliding-scale law firm. We do not provide free legal services, but we will work at a price that those of moderate means can afford. Hourly rates are determined on an individual basis by a client's income and family size. Our initial screening and phone consultations with an attorney are completely free. In-person, 1-2 hour case consultations and limited assistance sessions are available for a flat fee of $50-$100.
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