Kingstree attorney Kimberly Hodge smiles Thursday at her Williamsburg HomeTown Chamber ribbon-cutting ceremony. From the left are Ronnie Sabb, a Kingstree attorney and South Carolina senator; Kingstree Town Manager Richard Treme and Kingstree Mayor Darren Tisdale.
WILLIAMSBURG HOMETOWN CHAMBER PHOTO
As the valedictorian of the Class of 2010 at C.E. Murray High School, Kimberly Hodge was smart, but she had trouble figuring some things out.
Like where to work part time as a high school student. She wanted to work at S.C. Sen. Ronnie Sabb’s law firm in Kingstree, but she was told there were no part-time openings. She found work at Bi-Lo.
Like what to do when she later was hired part time at the law firm at the age of 16.
“I had no experience, no training. … He kind of just threw me into the legal aspect of everything,” Hodge said. “In college, when I had breaks, I would come back like Christmas break, spring break, come back and work as an intern.”
Like what to major in at USC-Aiken. She tried education but eventually studied psychology.
Like what to do after she graduated from college and discovered psychology didn’t open many doors to lucrative jobs.
“So I sat down with Mr. Sabb one day, and he said, ‘God didn't put you in my office for no reason. Try law school,’” Hodge said. “I guess the rest is history.”
On Thursday, with a Williamsburg Hometown Chamber ribbon cutting, Hodge celebrated opening an office at 139 N. Academy St. for her own firm in downtown Kingstree.
It’s down the street and around the corner from Sabb’s office, where Hodge worked for two years after graduating from law school at the University of South Carolina. She left Sabb’s firm two years ago to start her own practice and to practice as a public defender. Now she has a paralegal on her staff, and her receptionist is her mother. She has no interest in a law partner.
Hodge has figured it out. Where once she merely wanted a part-time job at a law firm, she has found a career as a lawyer. It just took some time.
She handles real estate cases, criminal defense, some probate issues and some personal injury cases. She has a clear favorite.
“I love real estate,” she said. “Closings, refinances, property transfers. … Someone is always happy. Happy to get a house. Happy to get some money.”
Her job – her life – isn’t like a dream come true, because she didn’t dream of this when she was young or even when she was in high school working part time with Sabb and his firm.
“It's almost unreal,” Hodge said. “It's just everything kind of just lined up with the stars.
“I owe it all to God. Without him, there would be no me, and we wouldn't even be sitting here today.”
