Meet The MODERATORS
Laura Dukes Beck
Laura graduated from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1993 and University of South Carolina Law in 1998. After clerking for a Judge, and practicing law for a few years, she left the formal practice to have children. She used her “lawyer hat” in government service for over 15 years, serving as an elected member of Folly Beach City Council, as chair of the Folly Beach Planning Commission, as a current member of Charleston County Planning Commission and as a staff attorney to the Master in Equity in Charleston. She joined Shumaker, Loop and Kendrick, LLP as a partner in the Charleston Office in September 2019, and is very excited about finally diving deep into the full time practice of law. She is a member of the Real Estate team, and handles Real Estate litigation, Land Use, and closings. Laura is also a Certified Civil Mediator. She hopes to get to know all of the women who are Mediators so that all can network and help each other build successful ADR practices.
Before law school, Laura graduated from an all-girl’s high school and was a member of a sorority in college, and she believes in the power of a group of women who build each other up instead of tearing each other down. She made life-long friends during school who have been there for her no matter what. She is proud to be a part of this movement to empower women lawyers. The support of her girlfriends in life has carried Laura through some of the most unimaginable crises one can face. Despite busy schedules, jobs, kids, and hectic lives, women have lifted Laura when she has needed it most, and she hopes that by serving as one of the Founding Moderators of My Legal BFF she can do the same for female attorneys who may need her in times of crisis. Laura was widowed in 2006 when her successful attorney husband took his own life. She has raised their children as a single mom, and she has done so with strength and grace. She is a huge believer in the benefits of therapy, and having a professional to talk to when mental health issues arise in one’s own life, or the lives of loved ones. She is also a proponent of mental health initiatives for members of the South Carolina Bar. Laura was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2017, and she is fortunate that her disease is now in remission after undergoing treatment in 2017 and 2018. She participates in the Survivor Fit Club at MUSC Wellness Center, and recommends looking into similar support group options for cancer survivors.
Laura has been through facing mortality in more ways than one, as you can see, and she is here to help you if you need someone to talk to. She absolutely could not have made it through these major life losses and events without her circle of female friends and supporters. Every one of us has a story to tell, and something to overcome. You can get better or you can be bitter, Laura chooses to get better!
Laura lives in Charleston, SC and can be reached HERE.
Before law school, Laura graduated from an all-girl’s high school and was a member of a sorority in college, and she believes in the power of a group of women who build each other up instead of tearing each other down. She made life-long friends during school who have been there for her no matter what. She is proud to be a part of this movement to empower women lawyers. The support of her girlfriends in life has carried Laura through some of the most unimaginable crises one can face. Despite busy schedules, jobs, kids, and hectic lives, women have lifted Laura when she has needed it most, and she hopes that by serving as one of the Founding Moderators of My Legal BFF she can do the same for female attorneys who may need her in times of crisis. Laura was widowed in 2006 when her successful attorney husband took his own life. She has raised their children as a single mom, and she has done so with strength and grace. She is a huge believer in the benefits of therapy, and having a professional to talk to when mental health issues arise in one’s own life, or the lives of loved ones. She is also a proponent of mental health initiatives for members of the South Carolina Bar. Laura was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2017, and she is fortunate that her disease is now in remission after undergoing treatment in 2017 and 2018. She participates in the Survivor Fit Club at MUSC Wellness Center, and recommends looking into similar support group options for cancer survivors.
Laura has been through facing mortality in more ways than one, as you can see, and she is here to help you if you need someone to talk to. She absolutely could not have made it through these major life losses and events without her circle of female friends and supporters. Every one of us has a story to tell, and something to overcome. You can get better or you can be bitter, Laura chooses to get better!
Laura lives in Charleston, SC and can be reached HERE.
Darra James Coleman
Darra James Coleman hails from the cultural metropolis of Loris, South Carolina. She graduated from the University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina School of Law. Although she remains a country girl at heart, she was too lazy to move far after graduation and currently resides in Lexington. She was certified to teach English-Secondary Education and enjoyed working on school law-related litigation, as well as other governmental defense and general insurance defense, before building a more balanced practice that included personally injury for plaintiffs and mediation during the first 14 years of practice.
An unexpected family crisis Ied to a sudden career shift to the public sector in 2012 when Darra joined LLR as Chief Advice Counsel, where she still leads the team of attorneys who provide in-house legal services to forty-two professional and occupational licensing boards, serves as policy counsel for the agency and frequently speaks regarding emerging regulatory issues. A considerable amount of her time is devoted to dealing with impaired professionals who are battling the disease of addiction or some other mental illness, issues near and dear to her heart because of their impact on her family. Darra is a passionate advocate for family recovery, especially early intervention for children impacted by the addiction or mental illness of a loved one.
Darra has won some awards and recognition for her work, but her greatest prizes are her two children. As the survivor of two failed marriages and as a harried single mom, Darra can offer plenty of advice on what NOT to do in relationships and how to laugh your way through almost any situation. As a frequent reader of the DSM-V, she is convinced there are two types of people in this world: the diagnosed and the undiagnosed. As a Sagittarius, she also believes all are worthy of love.
An unexpected family crisis Ied to a sudden career shift to the public sector in 2012 when Darra joined LLR as Chief Advice Counsel, where she still leads the team of attorneys who provide in-house legal services to forty-two professional and occupational licensing boards, serves as policy counsel for the agency and frequently speaks regarding emerging regulatory issues. A considerable amount of her time is devoted to dealing with impaired professionals who are battling the disease of addiction or some other mental illness, issues near and dear to her heart because of their impact on her family. Darra is a passionate advocate for family recovery, especially early intervention for children impacted by the addiction or mental illness of a loved one.
Darra has won some awards and recognition for her work, but her greatest prizes are her two children. As the survivor of two failed marriages and as a harried single mom, Darra can offer plenty of advice on what NOT to do in relationships and how to laugh your way through almost any situation. As a frequent reader of the DSM-V, she is convinced there are two types of people in this world: the diagnosed and the undiagnosed. As a Sagittarius, she also believes all are worthy of love.
Ashby Lawton Jones
Ashby graduated from law school in 1998 and thought she would become in-house counsel for a large corporation. She absolutely did NOT want to litigate and wanted to avoid a courtroom. Now, she's a successful Family Law Litigator. Sometimes other lawyers shudder and say they don’t know how she practices Family Law - and there are many days she doesn't know how she does it either - but Ashby tries to remind herself that when you're facing a major life event, whether positive or negative, the circle you choose to surround yourself with are folks you trust and hold in high regard. To think that she is actually invited into this close circle during such a major life event, and even paid to be there, makes her feel a sense of purpose. Though many label her as aggressive (She HATES when the clients say “bulldog”), she's actually quite sensitive and soft hearted.
Ashby is know statewide for her CLE's which often include The Queen of Pop, Miss Britney Spears. It was about 7 years ago that Ashby was asked to speak at a CLE for the first time and given a truly boring topic: Caselaw Update. On a whim, she decided to describe each case using a visual powerpoint, except in every single frame the Wife would be played by her idol, the Legend, Britney. Word quickly spread and ever since she's been known for her sincere love of all things Britney and subjected to what she describes as the "Britney Grin" from those that recognize her after a CLE. Although she's currently giving Britney a hiatus, there's no doubt Ashby will bring entertainment and humor to even the most mundane topic.
Ashby is an initial founder of My Legal BFF and is a firm believer that we (women) really need to hold each other up, encourage each other to take the bench, run for office, sit on the board and otherwise show up in a significant way in our field. She's hoping this page will be a place where we can do that! Ashby lives in Lexington, SC with her husband and two children and can be reached HERE.
Ashby is know statewide for her CLE's which often include The Queen of Pop, Miss Britney Spears. It was about 7 years ago that Ashby was asked to speak at a CLE for the first time and given a truly boring topic: Caselaw Update. On a whim, she decided to describe each case using a visual powerpoint, except in every single frame the Wife would be played by her idol, the Legend, Britney. Word quickly spread and ever since she's been known for her sincere love of all things Britney and subjected to what she describes as the "Britney Grin" from those that recognize her after a CLE. Although she's currently giving Britney a hiatus, there's no doubt Ashby will bring entertainment and humor to even the most mundane topic.
Ashby is an initial founder of My Legal BFF and is a firm believer that we (women) really need to hold each other up, encourage each other to take the bench, run for office, sit on the board and otherwise show up in a significant way in our field. She's hoping this page will be a place where we can do that! Ashby lives in Lexington, SC with her husband and two children and can be reached HERE.
Lindsay A. Joyner
As a partner in Gallivan White Boyd’s Columbia office, Lindsay Joyner’s practice focuses on trust litigation and complex business litigation, including business torts and professional negligence, presenting matters before both state and federal courts. Prior to joining GWB, Lindsay served as a staff attorney in the South Carolina Supreme Court. Lindsay received her Juris Doctorate and International Masters in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina in 2010.
Lindsay is actively involved in the South Carolina Bar and ABA YLD. She is a past president of the S.C. Bar’s Young Lawyers Division, served on the S.C. Bar’s Board of Governors and House of Delegates, and chaired several committees. Passionate about attorney wellbeing, Lindsay chairs the S.C. Bar’s Attorney Wellness Committee and speaks on such topics at statewide and national events. She also served as the ABA YLD’s Co-Vice Coordinator for Fit2Practice, Co-Vice Director for Bar Leadership, and as a member of its Long-Range Planning Board. Lindsay enjoys being involved in her community, having served on a variety of boards. Currently, she is the Treasurer of the Junior League of Columbia and serves as the nominating committee chair for Downtown Church. She was honored as Young Professional of the Year by Columbia Metropolitan Magazine in 2018 and as one of the ABA’s On The Rise—Top 40 Young Lawyers in 2019. She has also been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2016, 2018, and 2019 and was a 2018 Leadership in the Law honoree by South Carolina Lawyers Weekly.
Lindsay is perpetually single, but she loves her family, friends, and her friend’s children. She often feels like she has failed when the first question people ask her is why she is still single. She does not have an answer other than she simply has not met someone interesting enough who also wants to be with her. She struggles with feeling like she is “behind” in her personal life. Lindsay is also one of three daughters in a family in which her mother passed away 10 years ago this August. Her father will be getting remarried this November, and Lindsay will be performing the ceremony, which is something that she is still struggling with as well. She grew up in Mt. Pleasant and Charleston, went to the University of Georgia for undergrad, the University of South Carolina for law school and business school, and she now lives and works in Columbia. Lindsay can be reached HERE.
Lindsay is actively involved in the South Carolina Bar and ABA YLD. She is a past president of the S.C. Bar’s Young Lawyers Division, served on the S.C. Bar’s Board of Governors and House of Delegates, and chaired several committees. Passionate about attorney wellbeing, Lindsay chairs the S.C. Bar’s Attorney Wellness Committee and speaks on such topics at statewide and national events. She also served as the ABA YLD’s Co-Vice Coordinator for Fit2Practice, Co-Vice Director for Bar Leadership, and as a member of its Long-Range Planning Board. Lindsay enjoys being involved in her community, having served on a variety of boards. Currently, she is the Treasurer of the Junior League of Columbia and serves as the nominating committee chair for Downtown Church. She was honored as Young Professional of the Year by Columbia Metropolitan Magazine in 2018 and as one of the ABA’s On The Rise—Top 40 Young Lawyers in 2019. She has also been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2016, 2018, and 2019 and was a 2018 Leadership in the Law honoree by South Carolina Lawyers Weekly.
Lindsay is perpetually single, but she loves her family, friends, and her friend’s children. She often feels like she has failed when the first question people ask her is why she is still single. She does not have an answer other than she simply has not met someone interesting enough who also wants to be with her. She struggles with feeling like she is “behind” in her personal life. Lindsay is also one of three daughters in a family in which her mother passed away 10 years ago this August. Her father will be getting remarried this November, and Lindsay will be performing the ceremony, which is something that she is still struggling with as well. She grew up in Mt. Pleasant and Charleston, went to the University of Georgia for undergrad, the University of South Carolina for law school and business school, and she now lives and works in Columbia. Lindsay can be reached HERE.
Tiffany Provence
Tiffany is a graduate of the University of Florida (Go Gators!) and the University of South Carolina School of Law. She was admitted to the practice of law in 1998 and was simultaneously sworn in as the Probate Judge for Dorchester County as the youngest female Judge in South Carolina. After a decade on the bench, Tiffany retired to open her own law firm, Provence Messervy, where she focuses on probate and related litigation and oversees a team of six other attorneys. Tiffany currently teaches the Civil Mediation Certification course for the South Carolina Bar and loves mediating complex probate issues. Tiffany also serves as a Drug Court Judge for Dorchester County and enjoys helping those with addiction related issues.
While Tiffany's professional life has appeared successful, her personal life could be deemed a disaster. Tiffany has dealt with two divorces during her 20+ years of being married to the law, leaving her to raise two teens on her own. Needless to say, she struggles daily with work-life balance. She's recently remarried and is now dealing with the joys and torments of a blended family of five kids ranging from 23 to 13. She's also the oldest of five siblings who often keep her involved in endless drama. Tiffany lives in Daniel Island, SC and works in Charleston, Summerville and Mt. Pleasant. She can be reached HERE.
While Tiffany's professional life has appeared successful, her personal life could be deemed a disaster. Tiffany has dealt with two divorces during her 20+ years of being married to the law, leaving her to raise two teens on her own. Needless to say, she struggles daily with work-life balance. She's recently remarried and is now dealing with the joys and torments of a blended family of five kids ranging from 23 to 13. She's also the oldest of five siblings who often keep her involved in endless drama. Tiffany lives in Daniel Island, SC and works in Charleston, Summerville and Mt. Pleasant. She can be reached HERE.
April Sampson
April was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee (Go Vols!) and graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where she met her future husband. He dragged her kicking and screaming to Columbia where she went to law school at the University of South Carolina. After getting married during Spring Break of her 2L year, she found out she was pregnant with her first child the last day of law school. Studying, taking, and passing the Bar while pregnant is not something she recommends, but she did so in 1998. She began her career working at Protection & Advocacy for People with Disabilities, but couldn’t wait to follow her dream to be a trial lawyer. So, when she got the chance, she became a public defender in Richland County, eventually becoming the Deputy Public Defender. After 6 years, she left that office to try private practice, working for Duff, White, & Turner, followed by becoming an associate at the Law Office of Richard Breibart. In 2011, she did something she never imagined doing, and became an assistant solicitor. She is currently the Deputy Solicitor for the Fifth Circuit, which covers Richland and Kershaw Counties.
Over the years, April learned that she has a passion for teaching and now strives to do that as often as possible. She teaches up and coming paralegals at South University and has taught classes in the Criminal Justice department at the University of South Carolina. She has participated in several CLEs as a speaker and a moderator, mainly addressing criminal law and evidence. One of her favorite projects is being a coach for the Mock Trial team at Dutch Fork High School (Go Silver Foxes!). Her current field of expertise is the Protection of Persons and Property Act, commonly known as the Stand Your Ground Law, and was recently a guest on CourtTV talking about the subject.
In her spare time (yeah, right), she attends volleyball games where she cheers on both her daughters, one at Columbia College, and the other at Dutch Fork High School. In 2014, after battling breast cancer, she started a nonprofit called In The Middle, to provide financial assistance to breast cancer survivors who are financially “in the middle”. She loves to drink wine and talk about all of life's ups and downs, so if you need someone to share in your joy or commiserate about how hard it is to be a mom, you can reach her HERE.
Over the years, April learned that she has a passion for teaching and now strives to do that as often as possible. She teaches up and coming paralegals at South University and has taught classes in the Criminal Justice department at the University of South Carolina. She has participated in several CLEs as a speaker and a moderator, mainly addressing criminal law and evidence. One of her favorite projects is being a coach for the Mock Trial team at Dutch Fork High School (Go Silver Foxes!). Her current field of expertise is the Protection of Persons and Property Act, commonly known as the Stand Your Ground Law, and was recently a guest on CourtTV talking about the subject.
In her spare time (yeah, right), she attends volleyball games where she cheers on both her daughters, one at Columbia College, and the other at Dutch Fork High School. In 2014, after battling breast cancer, she started a nonprofit called In The Middle, to provide financial assistance to breast cancer survivors who are financially “in the middle”. She loves to drink wine and talk about all of life's ups and downs, so if you need someone to share in your joy or commiserate about how hard it is to be a mom, you can reach her HERE.
