Jessica Kinard

WORK HISTORY

SKILLS

ABOUT JESSICA KINARD

After graduating law school in the midst of a recession and having job offers rescinded, I had to find my own path and did a lot of things backward. I was luckily enough to find a husband and wife firm in Hills & Hills that let me work as an associate on pure commission. With the help of family, I stayed there for five years and learned the things they don\'t teach you in law school - how to file a lawsuit, answer discovery, do client intake, appear in court, etc. I primarily practiced family law, but learned a little bit of everything in this powerhouse of a family firm. I was meant to come back to Columbia, though, so I did what most new law grads do and jumped at an opportunity to clerk for the Honorable Carolyn Cason Matthews on the South Carolina Administrative Law Court. The breadth of knowledge I gained through research, writing, and courtroom experience here was invaluable for a continued career in public service. When Judge Matthews retired, I moved across the State House grounds to the Attorney General\'s Office. I spent almost three years as an Assistant Attorney General handling post-conviction relief cases from their inception through appeals and oral argument at the Supreme Court. This position also included leadership experience, from hiring to unemployment hearings to the day-to-day in between. I decided to dip my toes back into family law and joined McDougall, Self, Currence, and McLeod, LLC. Through this experience, I realized high stakes and high-paced family law was not for me. As I departed the firm, I decided to hang my own shingle and practice family law on my own terms. I also did a large amount of criminal appellate work, working against my former employer and so-representing convicted persons in post-conviction relief cases. This work lasted me though the height of the Covid-19 crisis. After being persuaded by a friend to apply, I accepted an offer from the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services as legal counsel. This role included a fair amount of routine review, but also a lot of brief writing and experience representing the agency in the prosecution of ignition interlock device cases. When the City of Columbia called in 2023, I knew it was the step I needed to take. I am thrilled to represent the City and advise City Council. Profile hacked October 2024, so I\'ve lost all prior endorsements. Working on rebuilding.