Take Some Time and Get To Know Me

I Am a Native South Carolinian

Growing up, I enjoyed fishing for bream, bass, and catfish, riding bikes, eating boiled peanuts, swimming in the Edisto River, and tending to Brahma cows.

The slow pace of country living allowed me to focus on my education, starting with the small high school I attended in Orangeburg, SC.

Why I Pursued Law

After graduating high school, I attended the University of South Carolina and became a proud Gamecock fan.

But change was in the air.

Shortly after my freshman year, I was held up at gunpoint and carjacked.

It was a frightening ordeal, but in the end, I “made lemonade out of lemons” and decided to pursue a career in Criminal Justice.

I was so excited about the prospect of being a lawyer that I graduated in three and a half years from USC with a 3.7 GPA by taking summer school courses (that, combined with my AP credits from high school).

While in college, I also completed an internship in the SC State House and another at the Richland County Drug Court.

I am incredibly driven, and I’ve always enjoyed working and, as such, have always maintained a part-time job.

The harder I worked, the more I accomplished.

For example, I babysat before I was old enough to work, worked in a small ladies’ clothing store and Hallmark card stores, was an academic tutor in college, helped students with disabilities, and had holiday employment at the mall.

Eventually, I landed a job as a courier at a small law firm (Tompkins and McMaster Law Firm in Columbia, South Carolina).

That little law firm had powerful lawyers who encouraged and inspired me in ways I never imagined.

On The Fast Track

I was accepted into law school.

Meanwhile, first-year law students are encouraged not to work due to the demanding academic workload, but not working felt unimaginable.

It seemed like a foreign concept, so I worked part-time as a nanny for Thad Myers, a local attorney in Columbia, SC.

As luck would have it, the law firm where Thad worked (James C. Anders & Associates) needed a law clerk, and guess who got the job?

Me, Susan Williams!

My Big Break

It was a big break for me, and I loved every minute of working for James C. Anders & Associates.

The building where I worked was amazing!

It was a beautiful, well-appointed old historic home-turned-office space and looked like a museum.

I was most grateful for my small desk space in the old house’s basement.

There were copies of checks on the walls of multi-million dollar verdicts proving their success, which was awe-inspiring.

I was fortunate enough to be there researching cases, learning the law, rubbing elbows with prominent lawyers, being a team player, and taking it all in!

The lawyers there were brilliant, creative, colorful, well-known, and well-respected in the community.

Several lawyers who worked on cases sometimes made national news—for example, The Susan Smith case aired on NBC’s Dateline.

Keith Geise, whom I worked alongside, was a key lawyer in prosecuting the case against Susan Smith, and my boss, Jim Anders, prosecuted the infamous Pee Wee Gaskins.

I was amazed at how everything fell into place. All my opportunities were right before me.

That’s when the realization of my journey began to sink in, and suddenly, that small town farm felt like a long way off from The Anders Law Firm!

I Had a Great Mentor

A self-made man, the late Jim Anders, always told me, “You have to get some trial experience before you can start winning verdicts like these.”

Anders, who tried the infamous case of serial killer “Pee Wee” Gaskins, encouraged me to get some “real” trial experience at the Solicitor’s Office, which is where he began.

I followed his advice and started working at the Dorchester County Solicitor’s Office, where I gained more trial and “in court” experience than I ever imagined.

At this point, I graduated from doing research and moved on to trying cases.

For four (4) years, I tried cases and enjoyed my job immensely while learning first-hand what the State needed to prove someone guilty.

I met and tried cases with various defense attorneys, learned their tactics, studied their legal theories, and worked out cases with them.

I loved it!

It doesn’t feel like work when you get to do something you’re passionate about.

Why I Started My Own Law Firm

With all the education, life experience, and necessary trial experience, I decided to hang my shingle.

I knew I would be happy doing what I loved, and I was right.

I became the first lawyer in my family’s history, although history is still in the making!

So, in 2009, I took the plunge and opened my private practice.

People always ask me, how can you switch sides… go from prosecuting to defending?

That’s easy… everyone has constitutional rights.

If arrested and innocent, I would want someone helping me I could trust.

Wouldn’t you?

Which is why I give my clients the one-on-one attention they deserve.

After 15 years, my clients still receive that one-on-one attention that originally compelled me to open my law practice in the first place.

And to think it all started from my humble beginnings on a small farm in rural South Carolina to my experience at Anders’ Firm, and yes, even the insight gained from my carjacking.

I’m still captivated by my journey, even to this day!

In my Spare Time

In my free time, I enjoy fishing (saltwater and freshwater), crabbing, boating, traveling, crafting, riding bikes, swimming, playing the piano, going to the beach, and working out.

Last but not least, my bloodhound is as much a part of my family as any other family member.