ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Three Winthrop University alumnae – a federal judge, a defense attorney and an estate planning lawyer – will speak at a March 4 “Women and the Law” event.
Sponsored by the Winthrop Women’s Coalition, the free event will take place at 7 p.m. in Dina’s Place in the DiGiorgio Campus Center. It is an approved cultural event.
The panel will be moderated by Jennifer Leigh Disney, faculty liaison for the Winthrop Women’s Coalition, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science, Philosophy, Religion, and Legal Studies, and director of the women’s and gender studies program.
The panel discussion will be followed by a Q & A session. The panelists are:
*DeAndrea Gist Benjamin ’94
Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The Honorable DeAndrea Gist Benjamin serves as a United States Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Confirmed to the court in February 2023, Judge Benjamin is the second African-American woman and the first person of color from South Carolina to serve on the Fourth Circuit.
Born in Columbia, South Carolina, Benjamin earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in political science from Winthrop in 1994. She attended the University of South Carolina School of Law, finishing in 1997. She has worked as a law clerk for the Honorable Casey Manning, an assistant solicitor for Family Court, lead Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) prosecutor for the South Carolina Office of the Attorney General and as an assistant attorney general. She has won numerous awards for her judicial work.
She and her father had a private practice from 2001 through 2011, while she also served as a municipal judge for the city of Columbia. She spent from 2011 through 2023 as a state judge with the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court.
*Susan Barber Hackett ’00
Chief Staff Attorney, S.C. Court of Appeals
Hackett is the Chief Staff Attorney for the South Carolina Court of Appeals. She previously
worked as an Appellate Defender and with the S.C. Commission on Indigent Defense,
representing individuals in their appeals following criminal convictions and in post-conviction
relief matters. She has argued more than 100 cases before the South Carolina appellate
courts.
Previously, Hackett has worked at the Office of Disciplinary Counsel to investigate and prosecute lawyers; served as executive director of the Center of Capital Litigation, a non-profit dedicated to the representation of individuals charged with capital crimes; and worked as a defense attorney in private practice. She has won numerous awards for her legal work.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Winthrop in 2000 and graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2003.
*Casey Ferri ’09
Conrad Trosch & Kemmy
Casey Ferri is licensed to practice law in both North and South Carolina. Now with the law firm of Conrad Trosch & Kemmy, she also has worked with the law firm of Crisp Cherry McCraw.
She is the current president-elect of the Winthrop University Alumni Executive Board, and a former chair of the Elder & Special Needs Law Section of the N.C. Bar Association.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and language with a minor in political science from Winthrop in 2009. She earned a Juris Doctor degree and a Certificate of Concentration in Elder Law from Stetson University College of Law in 2012.
Her practice areas have included estate planning, elder law, probate/estate administration, guardianships, asset protection, and estate and fiduciary litigation.
About the Winthrop Women's Coalition:
The Winthrop Women's Coalition is a giving circle that promotes philanthropy and transforms the lives of Winthrop students, while providing its members with opportunities for personal and professional growth. The coalition was founded on the idea that women’s strength is at its best when women work together. In the coalition, one will find a connection to other women of diverse personal and professional backgrounds, and opportunities for personal and professional enrichment while helping to contribute to the university’s mission and philanthropic needs. To date, the Winthrop Women’s Coalition has raised more than $180,000 to support Commencement Bridge Scholarships to help Winthrop students graduate.
For more information, contact Jennifer Disney at disneyj@winthrop.edu.
