South University Columbia Names Justice Ernest A. Finney, Jr. 2007 Commencement Speaker

Thursday, June 14, 2007

South University Columbia has named former South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Ernest A. Finney, Jr. as its 2007 commencement speaker. South University will hold its annual commencement on June 23, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. at the Koger Center.

Justice Ernest A. Finney, Jr. served on the South Carolina Supreme Court from 1985 until his retirement in 2000. He was appointed Chief Justice in 1994 making him the first African-American Chief Justice of South Carolina Supreme Court. Following his retirement from the court, he served as Interim President of South Carolina State University for the 2002-2003 school year.

Prior to serving on the court, he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives where he became the first African American to serve on the House Judiciary Committee in modern time. He was one of the Founders of the Legislative Black Caucus and served as its charter Chairman. He was later elected to a judgeship in South Carolina's Third Circuit Court and became the State's first African-American Circuit Court judge. He began his legal career in private practice in Sumter, S.C. specializing in civil rights litigation where he defended more than 6000 clients for participating in demonstrations and sit-ins.

Justice Finney is a member of the NAACP and the American Bar Association and was inducted into the National Black College Hall of Fame and is a recipient of the South Carolina Order of the Palmetto. He holds numerous honorary degrees and received his B.A. from Claflin College and his J.D. from the South Carolina State University School of Law.

Established in 1899, South University is a private academic institution dedicated to providing educational opportunities for the intellectual, social and professional development of a diverse student population. South University offers educational programs at the associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels with campuses located in Savannah, Ga., Columbia, S.C., Tampa and West Palm Beach, Fla. and Montgomery, Ala. Visit South University online at: www.southuniversity.edu. For more information about South University's online programs, call 1-888-444-3404 or visit http://online.southuniversity.edu.