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On September 27, Stanley Myers, a South Carolina-based renowned attorney and pioneering military judge passed away. He was 47 years old at the time of his death. Myers died of natural causes, as per coroner Margaret Fisher’s statement to WLTX 19 on Wednesday, while he was being transported from his home to the local hospital in Lexington County.
Apart from being a lawyer and a military judge, Stanley Myers was also a former Citadel football quarterback. Myers was also the first-ever African American to become a National Guard military judge in the state of South Carolina.
Tributes poured in on social media after the news of his passing broke online. For instance, the Attorney General of South Carolina, Alan Wilson, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his homage for his colleague:
“My dear friend Stanley Myers passed away this morning. I’m heartbroken.”
Stanley Myers is survived by his wife and two children.
Stanley Myers was a partner at the Moore Bradley Myers law firm
A native of small-town Swansea in South Carolina, Stanley Myers was not only a prominent attorney and partner associated with the Moore Bradley Myers law firm in Lexington County, but also a lieutenant colonel in the South Carolina Army National Guard. There, Myers served as a military judge. In fact, he was the first Black individual to become a National Guard military judge in the state.
Before becoming a renowned legal figure in his state, Stanley Myers attended Swansea High School and later college at the military college of South Carolina, called The Citadel, where he was a quarterback for his college’s football team for four consecutive years.
In 1998, Myers graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from the college’s South Carolina Corps of Cadets, and five years later, he earned his juris doctorate from the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law in Washington D.C.
After finishing his education, Stanley Myers became a member of the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law’s Board of Visitors, as well as the chairman of the legal and athletics committee. However, soon, he was commissioned as an infantry officer and later deployed as a captain between 2007 and 2008 on an Afghanistan tour as part of the Infantry Brigade to aid the ongoing Operation Enduring Freedom.
Following his return from Afghanistan, Myers was appointed as the Judge Advocate General in the military, starting off as a trial counsel, followed by defense counsel, and finally a judge. When he became the first African American military judge for the National Guard in his state in 2021, he told during the News 19 show Seat at the Table, that being “the first” meant a lot of responsibility.
“My goal is to make sure to stay the course, that I do the best job that I can so that I can give other individuals an opportunity to come in.”
Besides the aforementioned roles, Stanley Myers was also a South Carolina Super Lawyer, a Midlands Legal Elite, and a prominent American Bar of Trial Attorneys member, who had the license to practice in all state and federal courts.
Internet shares tribute for the deceased military judge
Stanley Myers passed away in Lexington County on Wednesday morning at the age of 47. As per The State, he collapsed during his morning walk while he was accompanied by his pet dog. Despite being rushed to a local hospital, he could not be saved.
As soon as the news of his death spread on the internet, colleagues, friends, and acquaintances came forward to pour in their tributes.
Jake Moore, a senior partner in his law firm, told The State how he hired Myers during his Citadel days as he was “incredibly gifted and brilliant.”
“I loved Stanley Myers with all my heart. He was like a son to me and one of the most decent human beings I have ever met.”
Echoing a similar spirit, state judge Robert Hood said:
“His dedication to the law and his clients is only matched by his devotion as a husband and a father. He is the epitome of an amazing light both in and out of the courtroom.”
David Pascoe, Myers’ longtime friend and fellow Citadel graduate also spoke with The State:
“Stanley was my best friend. We talked every day. He was probably the least-known legal giant in our state because he never went on social media to tell people how great he was.”
Pascoe, the solicitor of the state’s first judicial circuit, also added how Myers was a philanthropist and would donate bicycles and presents to underprivileged children in his hometown Swansea, every Christmas. He also informed how Myers owned a small barbecue restaurant in his hometown completely operated by family members.
Apart from being an attorney, a military judge, and more, Stanley Myers was also the founder of the Swansea Mentoring Program, which he established in his hometown to help young individuals learn the value of making the right choices in life.
