Meet the new SCATJ Commission Co-Chairs.

Chief Justice Kittredge has appointed two new co-chairs to lead the South Carolina Access to Justice Commission. The Honorable Kristi F. Curtis is a former Magistrate, Circuit, and now Appellate Court Judge with a deep understanding of access to justice needs across all levels ofSouth Carolina’s court system. Chris Koon, Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the South Carolina Electric Cooperatives, is the immediate past president of the South Carolina Bar and longtime Governance Committee Chair for the Commission, bringing extensive institutional knowledge and strong connections to our state’s legal community.

The new co-chairs hope to build on the Commission’s work to address South Carolina’s significant justice gap, with a focus on collaboration, reaching underserved communities, and exploring responsible uses of emerging technology.

“I am very excited to be part of the Commission’s important work,” said Judge Curtis. “I look forward to working along with my co-chair Chris Koon to raise awareness for the work being done across the state and to highlight the innovation and collaboration we are seeing among our community partners.”

Koon, the immediate past president of the South Carolina Bar, said he is honored to take on the role while recognizing the foundation established by the Commission’s previous leadership.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be trusted with such an important role, especially at this moment for our profession,” Koon said. “It’s daunting to follow in the footsteps of Justice Few, who, more than anyone else, built the Commission into the force that it is today.”

The co-chairs said their vision for access to justice is straightforward: ensuring that every person has a meaningful opportunity to navigate the legal system.

“To me, access to justice means a level playing field,” Judge Curtis said. “It means that everyone has an opportunity to understand the legal process, assert their rights, and have their case decided solely on its merits — regardless of their financial means.”

“For me, it means giving everyone a fair chance,” Koon said.

Collaboration will be central to their approach. With no single organization able to address the state’s justice gap alone, the co-chairs said the Commission can help connect legal and community partners, share successful approaches, and avoid duplication.

“The existing justice gap in South Carolina is tremendous, and no one provider can fill it,” Koon said. “In order to maximize our effectiveness, we’ve got to be efficient, share ideas, avoid duplication, and attack problems as a team.”

The co-chairs also identified technology as an opportunity to expand the reach of legal assistance, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

Judge Curtis said she hopes to “identify innovative ways to use technology — in conjunction with the service of dedicated attorneys — to expand our reach in rural and underserved areas of the state.”

Koon said artificial intelligence could play a role in addressing unmet legal needs, while emphasizing the need for appropriate safeguards.

“We know that 99% of defendants in eviction cases are unrepresented in South Carolina,” Koon said. “Could we create a trustworthy A.I. tool to help them navigate the eviction process?”

“A.I. is coming, and we need protocols and standards to make sure it’s used wisely and effectively,” he said.

The South Carolina Access to Justice Commission was established by the South Carolina Supreme Court in 2007 to identify and address barriers to civil legal assistance and promote meaningful access to the justice system for all South Carolinians. The Commission convenes court leaders, attorneys, legal services organizations, policymakers, and other partners to address the significant civil justice gap in South Carolina by assessing essential civil legal needs, fostering collaboration, and identifying innovative solutions.