• Date Admitted to South Carolina Bar: 1977
• Undergraduate: University of South Carolina, B.A.
• Law School: University of South Carolina School of Law, JD
• Certified Circuit Court Mediator
• “AV” rating from Martindale Hubbell

Joseph M. McCulloch, Jr. is a seasoned litigator and former prosecutor with over forty years of experience. He approaches legal problems with a creative sophistication, competence, and confidence borne of years in the courtroom. Mr. McCulloch is a strategist and problem solver. As a member of the South Carolina Bar since 1977, he is dedicated to representing and defending clients accused of serious crimes both in federal and state courts. Mr. McCulloch is a founder and past president of the South Carolina Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and longtime member of the South Carolina Association of Justice and the National Association of Civil Defense Lawyers. A frequent lecturer to attorneys and judges, he has annually provided the criminal law evidence update at the statewide meeting of the South Carolina Bar Association for over 15 years.

Before starting his own practice in 1996, Mr. McCulloch was a partner in a law firm in Columbia, South Carolina where he concentrated in the areas of criminal defense and personal injury litigation. Earlier in his career, he worked with the South Carolina Supreme Court where he trained summary court judges among his other responsibilities and has continued presentations to the state’s magistrates annually. He also served as a career Prosecutor with the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office in Columbia, South Carolina.

In addition to civil and criminal litigation, Mr. McCulloch has worked with numerous sports and entertainment clients. He served as Associate Counsel to the University of South Carolina and later as external counsel and has frequently advised NCAA collegiate institutions and coaches in athletic and disciplinary matters. He has served as counsel for institutions overseeing independent investigative reviews. For approximately 27 years, Mr. McCulloch has taught at the University of South Carolina Law School in the areas of Sports and/or Entertainment Law and Criminal Law.

In addition to his law practice, Mr. McCulloch is dedicated to a better community. He is a founder and current president of Palmetto Innocence, an endeavor marshalling the assistance of volunteer lawyers in an effort to discover and exonerate those wrongfully convicted and has dedicated hundreds of hours toward this mission. He has served on various boards and commissions and provides counsel to groups and organizations. Mr. McCulloch is also a court certified civil mediator.

Mr. McCulloch received his B.A. from the University of South Carolina in 1974 and his J.D. Degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1977. He is the proud recipient of the Presidential Citation for Legal Advocacy for Extraordinary Service in Protecting the Civil Rights of South Carolinians presented by the South Carolina State NAACP.