‌David W. Harwell

David W. Harwell, of Myrtle Beach, is a retired chief justice of the Supreme Court of South Carolina. He has been a member of the South Carolina Bar Association since 1958 and was a judge for 21 years (Circuit Court 1973-1980, Associate Justice 1980-1991, Chief Justice in 1991-1994). He also served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1963 to 1973, and was an active member of the Judiciary Committee and the Ways and Means Committee, and served as chairman of the South Carolina Agricultural Study Committee.

In January 2014, Harwell was presented with the C.C. “Cotton” Harness III Peace Award by the South Carolina Bar in recognition for his leadership in developing alternative dispute resolution in South Carolina. He has also received the Order of the Palmetto from Gov. David Beasley and the Reid Montgomery Freedom of Information Award from the South Carolina Press Association for opening South Carolina’s courtrooms to cameras.

He graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1958. As a circuit court judge, he graduated from the National College of State Trial Judges at the University of Nevada in 1973 and the American Academy of Judicial Education at the University of Colorado in 1976.

Harwell received the honorary degree Doctor of Public Service from Coastal Carolina University during the May 2006 commencement ceremony.