About Kathryn J.
Kathryn J. Walsh earned her J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1994 after completing a B.A. in History and Religious Studies at the University of South Carolina–Columbia in 1989. She is admitted to practice in South Carolina and is also admitted to appear before the U.S. Supreme Court. Her legal training combined classroom study and early practical work in state courts.
She began her legal career in 1994 as an associate at Rolf M. Baghdady, P.A. Two years later she helped found The Walsh Law Office, L.L.P., where she worked as a partner. That period was marked by courtroom work and client representation across a range of family and criminal matters. In 2001 she took on part-time contract work as a public defender in Greenville County, returning to public defense in 2003 as an assistant public defender in Spartanburg County.
Her public sector experience broadened in 2003 when she served as a managing lawyer, Staff Lawyer III, for the South Carolina Department of Social Services. The role involved administrative responsibilities alongside casework. In 2005 she taught as an adjunct instructor at Greenville Technical College, bringing practical legal perspectives into an academic setting. In 2019 she joined McIlveen Family Law Office as a senior associate lawyer.
Walsh’s professional certifications include designation as a Family Court Mediator by the South Carolina Bar. That qualification aligns with years of courtroom and settlement work. She has handled contested hearings, mediated family disputes, and represented clients in matters that require both negotiation and litigation skills.
Outside the courtroom she has been active in local civic life. She served on the Simpsonville City Council representing Ward II from 1997 to 2001. She was a member of the Simpsonville Area Chamber of Commerce board from 1998 to 2001. She has twice served on the Compass of Carolina board of directors, from 1999 to 2001 and again from 2008 to 2010. Her roles in the Rotary Club have included terms as president (2001–02 and 2013–14) and as secretary (1996–98). She chaired the Inmate Treatment Review Board from 1999 to 2000 and is a graduate of Leadership Simpsonville (1996–97).
Her career spans private practice, public defense, government legal work, and community service. She is currently at McIlveen Family Law Office, where her practice centers on family law matters.
