SC H4999

Recognizes the Honorable Carolyn Cason Matthews for receiving the 2025 Jean Galloway Bissell Award from the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association at a ceremony held November 20, 2025

The Bissell Award honors distinguished service to the public and legal profession, professional excellence, and activities paving the way for women lawyers; past recipients include Justice Jean H. Toal, Judge Matthew J. Perry Jr., and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

Judge Matthews earned her bachelor's degree from Furman University (1972) and juris doctorate from University of South Carolina School of Law (1978), graduating in the top ten percent of her class

Her career spans all three branches of South Carolina government, including SC Supreme Court staff attorney, House Judiciary Committee counsel, assistant attorney general, administrative law judge (1999-2015), and private practice at multiple firms

She served as president of the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association (2012-2013) and the South Carolina Senior Lawyers Executive Council (2020-2021), and currently practices mass tort and complex civil litigation at Bell Legal Group