David M. Collins, Jr.

Mr. Collins was born in Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia. He grew up in Landrum, South Carolina where he attended Landrum High School. Mr. Collins played football, baseball and was on the wrestling team while in high school. When he graduated, he was named “Most Likely to Succeed”.

He then received his college education by attending Newberry College in Newberry, South Carolina, the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia and the University of South Carolina - Spartanburg in Spartanburg, South Carolina. While attending the University of South Carolina - Spartanburg, Mr. Collins helped create the first USC-S Mock Trial Team and was selected as its founding President. As the founding President, Mr. Collins competed in regional and national mock trial competitions. Mr. Collins graduated and received his Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of South Carolina - Spartanburg. His major was Criminal Justice and he was named the Outstanding Criminal Justice Graduate.

After receiving his Bachelor's Degree, Mr. Collins attended graduate school. He studied for his Master's Degree in Public Administration through the University of South Carolina and Clemson University. While studying for his Master's degree, Mr. Collins did an internship at the Greenville County Sheriff's Office where he learned about the inner workings of law enforcement agencies. When he completed his classroom work for his Master's in Public Administration, Mr. Collins decided to fulfill his life-long ambition of becoming a lawyer.

Mr. Collins attended law school in Columbia, South Carolina at the University of South Carolina Law School. While in law school, Mr. Collins served as a page in the South Carolina House of Representatives and then worked as a law clerk for the firm of Harris & Graves in Columbia, South Carolina. During this time, Mr. Collins learned about the legal profession and helping those in need while in class and at work. Mr. Collins received his Juris Doctorate from the University Of South Carolina School Of Law in 1998. He took and passed the South Carolina Bar Exam and was sworn into the South Carolina Bar on November 16, 1998.

Mr. Collins decided in 2006 to expand his practice into North Carolina. In February 2006, he took and passed the North Carolina Bar Exam. He was admitted to practice in the Courts of North Carolina on June 30, 2006.

Mr. Collins is now licensed to practice law in the State Courts of South Carolina and North Carolina. He is also licensed to practice law in the Federal District Court of South Carolina, the United States Tax Court, and the Federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Collins is also a certified South Carolina Family Court Mediator.

During his practice, Mr. Collins has represented clients at every level of trial and appellate court in the State of South Carolina. He has tried criminal cases in City Court, Magistrate Court, and the Court of General Sessions. He has represented clients charged with a variety of crimes that range from Petty Larceny to Murder. He has presented clients in civil lawsuits in Magistrate Court and the Court of Common Pleas. He has also handled cases in the South Carolina Federal District Court, the South Carolina Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of South Carolina.

EDUCATION

• University of South Carolina School of Law, J.D. 1998
• University of South Carolina & Clemson University, M.P.A., 1999
• University of South Carolina – Spartanburg, B.S. 1993

BAR & COURT ADMISSIONS

• South Carolina
• North Carolina
• United States District Court, District of South Carolina
• United States District Court, District of Western North Carolina
• United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS

• SC Death Penalty Certified Attorney
• GIAC Advanced Smartphone Forensics (GASF)
• GIAC Certified Forensic Examiner (GCFE)

PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS

• AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
• AVVO rating of 9.9 out of 10.0