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FACULTY INFORMATION
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David Alexander has been practicing law for more than twenty years, He has served as an appellate defender with the Office of Appellate Defense since 2012. He completed his undergraduate work at Georgetown University and earned his law degree from the University of South Carolina, where he was an editor on the South Carolina Law Review. David began his legal career as a law clerk in the US District Court in Greenville, South Carolina and then entered private practice. He has argued over fifty cases before South Carolina’s appellate courts. He is originally from Conway, South Carolina and lives in Irmo with his wife and two children.
Robert Dudek, Esq. is the Chief Appellate Defender for the Office of Appellate Defense, a Division of the South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Journalism, and the University of South Carolina School of Law.
Dudek began his career as an appellate lawyer as an Assistant Appellate Defender with the Office of Appellate Defense in 1990. After a two person Death Penalty Appellate Unit was formed, he was later promoted to Deputy Chief Appellate Defender for Capital Appeals. Dudek became the Chief Appellate Defender in 2010. He has presented at the Annual Public Defender’s Convention on the “Case Law Update” and “Pending Appellate Cases” for many years. He also has presented on death penalty law at that conference. In addition, Dudek presents on error preservation each year at the Public Defense 101 CLE for newly hired Public Defenders, and he also teaches error preservation during court room exercises at the Public Defense 103 yearly three-day seminar in Greenville. He also teaches error preservation at local courthouses at the invitation of the Chief Circuit Public Defenders.
Dudek has also participated in various criminal law CLE programs over the years, and he presented as part of Honorable Ralph King Anderson’s “Appellate Practice” seminar years ago. Dudek has been a panel member for several years on significant appellate cases at the February Criminal Law CLE in Columbia.
Ronald Hazzard is the Circuit Public Defender for the 15th Judicial Circuit. Prior to his appointment in 2020, Ronald served as Chief Public Defender for Georgetown County. Before that he was Senior Trial Attorney for the Georgetown County Public Defender Office from 2012-2013 and Senior Trial Attorney for the Horry County Public Defender Office from 2008-2012. Ronald graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Political Science in 1984. He received his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1987.
Ashley McMahan, Esq. is a native of Taylors, South Carolina. In May 2000, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and International Business from the University of South Carolina. Ashley earned a Masters of Studies in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School in February 2004, and her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina, School of Law in May 2004.
Ashley started her law career as a law clerk to the Honorable Clifton Newman. Afterwards, she worked for the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office for a decade, handling everything from DUIs to appeals, and post-conviction relief to public corruption. She was also the statewide prosecutor for environmental crimes prosecuting the first, and only, State Grand Jury environmental investigation. Ashley has lectured numerous times for the SC Bar, the SC Prosecution Coordination Commission, as well as for the Attorney General’s Office. She is the author of the SC Post-Conviction Relief Manual, 2nd Edition and a contributing author to South Carolina Environmental Law, as well as co-author to the forthcoming SC Post-Conviction Relief Manual, 4th Edition. She is also a contributing editor to the SC Criminal Offenses and Penalties manual coming out Spring 2024. Ashley is a graduate of the first class of the SC Bar’s Leadership Academy in 2009. Ashley is a member of the Fairfield, Lexington, and Richland County Bar Associations, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the SC Association for Justice, and is on the SC Bar’s Trial and Appellate Advocacy Council as well as a member-elect of the SC Bar’s House of Delegates.
In July 2016, Ashley opened the McMahan & Taylor law firm in Cayce, SC with a former co-worker. In January 2022, it became McMahan Law, LLC. Ashley handles criminal defense, family-based immigration, appeals, post-conviction relief, name and gender marker changes, landlord-tenant, as well as Writs of Mandamus in Federal Court for the District of South Carolina. Ms. McMahan is currently licensed to practice law in the State of South Carolina, the Federal District Court for the District of South Carolina, U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. Her mother is from England and Ashley holds dual citizenship with the United Kingdom.
Judge Jocelyn Newman was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1977 to fellow Circuit Court Judge, the Honorable Clifton Newman and Patricia Blanton Newman.
She attended public school in Columbia, where she graduated from Spring Valley High School. After beginning her college career at Duke University, she ultimately earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of South Carolina.
Judge Newman attended law school at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she was a Merit Scholar. While in law school, she completed a judicial internship for the Honorable Reggie B. Walton of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Judge Newman received her Juris Doctor in 2004 and was admitted to the South Carolina Bar the same year. She is also admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Judge Newman began her legal career as a judicial law clerk for now-retired Circuit Court Judge, the Honorable G. Thomas Cooper, Jr. She also served as an Assistant Solicitor for the Fifth Judicial Circuit before entering private practice with the law firm of Richardson Plowden & Robinson, P.A. in Columbia. Judge Newman left Richardson Plowden in late 2015 and was subsequently elected to the Circuit Court bench on February 3, 2016.
Judge Newman has been very active in the legal community. She has served on the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Bar Foundation, as a Member of the Friends Advisory Board of the Ronald McDonald House, as an Associate Member of the South Carolina Board of Law Examiners, and as a member and treasurer for the John Belton O’Neall Inn of Court. She is a member of the Richland County Bar Association, S.C. Black Lawyers Association, S.C. Women Lawyers Association.
Judge Newman is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and American Mensa. She attends I. DeQuincey Newman United Methodist Church in Columbia.
William E. Phillips, Esq. graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1987 and from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1990. He is a solo practitioner in Anderson, South Carolina and has been a speaker at numerous CLEs over the years with topics ranging from “The Salem Witch Trials: The Law, The Evidence and Mass Injustice” to “Guardianships and Conservatorships” to “Evidence” to “'Cultural Differences’ As A Defense In A Legal Proceeding.” Currently, he is preparing a 2-hour Ethics seminar entitled “Ethics, ‘O.J.,’ ‘The Dream Team’ And ‘The Trial of The Century.’’
Derek Shoemake, Esq. is a former federal prosecutor and an experienced litigator who represents clients – both large and small – before numerous state and federal courts. A proven problem solver who focuses on complex criminal and civil issues. Derek most recently served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of South Carolina, where he ran one of the U.S. Attorney’s four offices in the state. He began by handling violent crime and narcotics cases, including cases involving drug gangs, firearms, bank robbery, and the most recent federal death penalty case in the United States. He ultimately became a white-collar prosecutor, where he handled complex criminal matters including wire fraud, healthcare fraud, bank fraud, tax fraud, and public corruption. Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Derek worked at the largest law firm in South Carolina and was a partner at a small law firm in Columbia, South Carolina. Derek has authored several legal articles in various publications, taught numerous Continuing Legal Education Courses to lawyers across the state, and clerked for two federal judges in the District of South Carolina. Derek also taught Civil Litigation in the University of South Carolina’s paralegal certification program and serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Carolina’s School of Law. He has taught Legal Writing and currently teaches Technology and Criminal Law. In addition to his litigation experience, Derek was recently elected to Kershaw County Council and serves on the Council’s Finance Committee. Before becoming a lawyer, Derek worked as an editor for The Item, a newspaper in Sumter, South Carolina, worked as a defense contractor for the General Dynamics Corporation, and served in the U.S. Marine Corps until his honorable discharge as a Sergeant. When not at work or teaching, Derek enjoys spending time with his wife – who teaches elementary school – and their two children.
Watani S. U. Tyehimba, CPP, CCDI (CPP), Board Certified in Security Management, and (CCDI), Board Certified Criminal Defense Investigator has been in the protective services field since 1972. He has performed duties as a legal investigator and paralegal for law firms in California, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, and New York since 1979. For five of those years, he worked as an apprentice private investigator in Los Angeles, California in order to qualify for his own private investigator's license. Tyehimba Services, Inc., specializing in Criminal Defense Investigations and Protective Services was established in Georgia in 1997. For three years, Mr. Tyehimba provided film and music management services for "High Profile" artist Tupac Shakur. This provided him an invaluable insight into the entertainment industry on all levels. Mr. Tyehimba has been qualified and testified as an expert witness in forensic firearms evidence and the reconstructive aspects of crime scenes and shooting incidents for the Superior Courts of Georgia & Mississippi, and is licensed by the Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies as a classroom and firearms instructor; is an Advisory Member for the Criminal Defense Investigation Training Council and a faculty member for the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council, the Georgia Capital Defenders and the National legal Aid & Defender Association. In 1998 and 2006, he served as a subject matter expert (SME) to review and revise both the Private Detective and Security Agency licensure examination for Georgia. In 1999 he served on the Board of the Georgia Association of Professional Private Investigators. From 1998 to 2012 he was an adjunct instructor for DeKalb Technical College, teaching the Private Investigation and Security Officer courses. He is also certified by the NRA as a Pistol, Home Firearms Safety and Personal Protection Instructor. Master Tyehimba co-created a martial arts system entitled Kupigana Ngumi-The New Afrikan Combat System, which is an eclectic system that can be utilized by security and law enforcement personnel, as well as individuals seeking basic skills in personal protection.
John L. Warren, III is an attorney with the Law Office of Bill Nettles. John graduated from the University of South Carolina – Honors College in 2009 and Elon University School of Law in 2013. John has clerked for three judges—Justice John W. Kittredge of the Supreme Court of South Carolina, Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr. of the United States District Court, and Judge A. Marvin Quattlebaum, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. John’s practice now focuses on whistleblower litigation, criminal defense, capital litigation, and appellate litigation. John is also a member of the Committee on Character and Fitness and is the Co-Director of the University of South Carolina School of Law’s Moot Court Program.
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