Stephen P. Hightower has been a licensed attorney for 25 years. He is an Assistant General Counsel for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. He previously primarily practiced environmental law as Assistant Attorney General in New York State Attorney General’s Office, and criminal law as an Assistant District Attorney in Westchester County, New York. In addition to being licensed in New York and South Carolina, he is a licensed attorney in New Jersey.
He attended Hofstra University, and earned a B.A., Major – Journalism, and Minor – English. He earned his J.D. from New York Law School.
He is interested in politics and the legal profession. He has volunteered for several campaigns and has served as a volunteer judge in debate and mock trial competitions for high school students.
Stephen is an avid reader, with particular interests in law, science, and military history. In military history, he received awards from the United States Military History Center and the Association of the United States Army for his excellence in the subject. He is also a photographer.
He is looking forward to serving on the Midlands Mediation Center’s Board of Directors because he is a litigator and is particularly interested in alternative dispute resolution forums such as arbitration and mediation from his time in law school when held an internship with the New York Stock Exchange in which he worked on issues regarding the arbitration of legal disputes between brokerage firms and their clients and employees. However, as an attorney employed by the State, he is legally barred from volunteering my legal skill and expertise to parties except for his immediate family.