Beatrice Whitten

Beatrice Whitten (“Bea”) is a native of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. She graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1990, after spending ten years working as a clerk with Judge Fielding at the Charleston County Probate Court. Ever since, Bea has made Mount Pleasant her home and place of business, centering her practice on helping South Carolinians and Lowcountry residents with their Social Security disability and probate cases. She has also worked as a civil mediator in Charleston since 1994. According to Bea, these areas of law are her passion, because they fulfill her life’s desire and focus as a “problem solver”.

Like most Lowcountry locals, Bea loves the cypress swamps and saltwater marshes, and the familiar smell of pluff mud. Not surprisingly, you can find Bea on the water or in the woods around Charleston in her free time. Bea and her husband, Pat, have raised two children and numerous dogs and cats along the way, and are now enjoying the “fruits of their labor”…spoiling their grandchildren every chance they get.

Education

• University of South Carolina School of Law Juris Doctorate, May 1990
• Baptist College at Charleston (now Charleston Southern University)
• Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, June 1987
• Magna Cum Laude

• December 1993 to present / Solo practitioner and certified mediator – with emphasis on probate law and Social Security disability.
• January 1994 to 2005 / Adjunct faculty member – Trident Technical College – Wills and Estates for paralegals.
• June 1991 to November 1993 / Partner, Lucey & Whitten law firm – emphasis on civil litigation, research, probate law, family law and Social Security disability.
• August 1990 to May 1991 / Associate, The Greene Law Firm – handled personal injury lawsuits, family law, small business, contracts and leases, will drafting, appellate practice.
• August 1989 to May 1990 / Legal writing instructor, USC School of Law – taught first-year law students the principles of research and writing, Lexis and Westlaw, oral argument.

• South Carolina Bar Pro Bono Service Award – 2000.
• Speaker for numerous public interest programs on wills, powers of attorney and advance directives.
• Instructor for paralegal certification programs, on request of Legal Assistants Association.
• Instructor for NBI continuing legal education programs.
• Certified mediator for Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaints, for U.S. Postal Service, since 1998.
• Certified South Carolina civil mediator since 1994.

• Treasurer and Board Member, Charleston Charter School for Math and Science, 2009-2011
• Vice-President, PTA, Mt. Pleasant Academy, 2005
• Member, South Carolina Bar Probate Code Revision Committee
• Former Member, Probate Liaison Committee, Charleston County
• South Carolina Bar Pro Bono Service Award, 2000
• Former Girl Scout leader
• Adjunct Faculty, Trident Technical College, Paralegal Program, 1994-2005
• Member of Summerville Community Orchestra