Staff Attorney

Staff Attorney

Organization: South Carolina REALTORS® (SCR) Location: Columbia, SC (or Remote/Hybrid options if applicable) Reports To: General Counsel / CEO Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt

Position Summary

South Carolina REALTORS® is seeking a knowledgeable and articulate attorney to serve as a primary legal resource for our 29,000+ members. The ideal candidate will manage two critical pillars of our association’s value proposition: operating the Legal Hotline to provide real-time guidance to agents and brokers, and overseeing the Standard Forms Library, ensuring our real estate contracts remain legally sound, current, and compliant with South Carolina law.

This role requires a balance of quick critical thinking and meticulous attention to detail. You will act as the "first line of defense" for risk management in the state’s real estate industry.

Key Responsibilities

1. Legal Hotline & Member Support (50%)

• Staff the SCR Legal Hotline: Respond to a high volume of daily inquiries from Realtor® members regarding real estate license law, transaction disputes, agency relationships, fair housing, and code of ethics issues.
• Risk Management: Provide clear, practical (non-binding) guidance to brokers and agents to help them mitigate risk and navigate complex transaction scenarios.
• Issue Tracking: Identify recurring legal questions or emerging industry trends based on hotline data to inform future educational content.
• Disclaimer Enforcement: Strictly maintain the boundary of attorney-client privilege, ensuring members understand the hotline provides general guidance for the licensee, not legal advice for their specific clients/buyers/sellers.

2. Contract & Forms Management (30%)

• Forms Maintenance: Serve as the liaison to the SCR Forms Committee. Regularly review all forms and contracts in the SCR Forms Library to ensure compliance with changes in SC state law, federal regulations, and South Carolina Real Estate Commission (SCREC) rulings.
• Drafting & Revision: Draft new forms and revise existing clauses to address market shifts 
• Committee Liaison: Act as the Staff Liaison to the Standard Forms Committee. Guide the committee through legal nuances during the decision-making process for form changes.
• Vendor Management: Work with forms software vendors (e.g., ZipLogix, Dotloop) to ensure digital versions of the contracts are accurate and deployed correctly.

3. Education & Compliance (20%)

• Content Creation: Write legal columns for the association's magazine, blog posts, and "Legal minute" video scripts summarizing hot topics.
• Training: Conduct webinars or live CE (Continuing Education) classes on recent changes to contracts, license law updates, or common pitfalls identified through the hotline.

Qualifications

• Education: Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• Licensure: Active member in good standing of the South Carolina Bar.
• Experience:
  • Minimum 3–5 years of legal practice.
  • Specific experience in South Carolina Real Estate Law (residential transactions, closings, landlord-tenant, or brokerage licensing) is highly preferred.
• Knowledge: Deep understanding of the South Carolina Code of Laws (specifically Title 40, Chapter 57), the Law of Agency, and RESPA.

Key Competencies

• Rapid Problem Solving: Ability to pivot quickly between different legal topics (e.g., answering a question about earnest money, then immediately answering a question about advertising rules).
• Plain English Communication: The ability to translate complex "legalese" into practical, actionable advice for non-lawyers.
• Patience & Empathy: A service-oriented mindset to help members who may be stressed or in the middle of a difficult negotiation.
• Meticulous Drafting: A passion for grammar, syntax, and precise contract language.

Why Join Us?

• Impact: Your work directly shapes how real estate is practiced in South Carolina and protects thousands of small business owners (Realtors®).
• Work-Life Balance: Unlike private litigation practice, this role offers predictable hours with no billable hour requirements.
• Benefits: Competitive salary, comprehensive health/dental/vision, 401(k) with match, and paid bar dues/CLEs.
  

South Carolina REALTORS® is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Salary

• $70,000 - $100,000