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South Carolina personal injury attorney Maggie Chappell practices in the areas of personal injury and mass torts. We sat down with her to discuss her career, advice for prospective clients, personal interests and the accuracy of the popular comedy My Cousin Vinny.
Beginnings
Maggie was born and raised in Inman, South Carolina. After graduating from Wofford College in 2012 (go Terriers!), she worked for 3 years as a legal assistant for Mark Arden at Chappell, Smith & Arden, P.A. (CSA).
Maggie’s experience at CSA inspired her to learn more about the law, and in 2015, she began attending the University of South Carolina School of Law.
While at law school, Maggie made the most of her time. She continued to work for CSA and spent what little free time she had serving on the board of an organization called Women In Law. The annual Halloween carnivals she organized as part of her duties became some of her favorite law school memories.
“We recruited different organizations and departments within the school to set up booths so the children could ‘trick or treat’ from one booth to the next. My fellow board members and I dressed as ‘Justice League’ characters from the DC Comics. We thought ourselves very clever. Combining my love for Halloween with the ability to bring pure joy to so many children was a perk each year.”
Career
Maggie graduated from law school in 2018 and began working full time for CSA. Most of her days are spent meeting with clients, writing legal briefs and arguing motions in court.
For Maggie, there’s nothing more fulfilling than helping injured people get the money they deserve from huge insurance companies that are just trying to save a buck.
“We are not ambulance chasers! Our clients come to us during a difficult time in their lives. Some of them are being given the runaround by insurance companies while others are going through the worst experience they have ever known—either with the loss of a loved one or a catastrophic injury of their own. We take pride in helping them all navigate what can be a very tedious and tiresome process.”
The field of personal injury law isn’t without its challenges. Maggie can’t help but feel the weight of her clients’ problems. “We feel so deeply when our clients are struggling physically, emotionally or financially from the wrongdoing of another person,” said Maggie.
Fortunately, she is able to embrace her role as a counselor and help leave her clients in a better position than they were when they first came to her.
“Of all the roles attorneys play, I think ‘counselor’ describes our role the best. My job is to guide my clients using my knowledge, skill and experiences so they can make the best, most informed decision for themselves.”
Advice for prospective clients
When injured individuals are looking for an attorney to hire, Maggie believes they should look for an attorney who offers more than just the necessary skills and experience.
“Do you feel as though you can build a professional relationship with this person? There are a lot of effective attorneys out there, but at Chappell, Smith and Arden, we try to make our clients feel like they are part of our CSA-Law family because that’s how we view them. We want our clients to feel comfortable turning to us even after their case is over if they have a need in the future.”
Maggie offers free initial consultations so you can get to know her before making a commitment.
Life outside of the law
When she isn’t buried in case law, Maggie can be found digging through the dirt. She grew up on a small farm and remains passionate about growing flowers and vegetables.
Maggie is a homebody at heart, and she’s happy to be in her garden or cooking for loved ones.
“Even though it’s a state capital, Columbia feels like a series of small towns. Growing up in a small town led me to appreciate the closeness and sense of community they provide. I’m happy Columbia is not a huge city and has a hometown feel.”
Of course, even when she’s relaxing, it’s impossible to escape the law. Maggie has been known to rewatch My Cousin Vinny when it appears on cable television. In addition to finding the film “hilarious,” Maggie is impressed with the film’s accuracy. “It’s a very accurate movie in terms of evidence and procedure,” Maggie explained.
Maggie’s not the only person to laud the film for its legal accuracy.
Esteemed Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Richard Posner once praised My Cousin Vinny as being “particularly rich in practice tips,” including “how to voir dire, examine and cross-examine expert witnesses, and the importance of the Brady doctrine.”
Judge Richar Posner is pretty good company to find yourself in. But then, so is Maggie Chappell.
About Chappell, Smith & Arden, P.A.
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