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LLR: Regulating South Carolina Licensed Professionals

January 23, 2018 by Robyn W. Madden

South Carolina Professional License Defense Attorneys Defending LLR Investigations

The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation is tasked with regulating over forty professions in the State of South Carolina.  Professions regulated by LLR include:

Accountancy

Architectural Examiners

Athletic Commission

Auctioneers Commission

Barber Examiners

Boiler Safety Program

Building Codes Council

Chiropractic Examiners

Cemetery Board

Contractor’s Licensing Board

Cosmetology

Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists

and Psycho Educational Specialists

Dentistry

Engineers/Surveyors

Environmental Certification

Foresters

Funeral Service

Registration for Geologists

Landscape Architectural Examiners

Liquified Petroleum Gas Board

Long Term Health Care Administrators

Manufactured Housing Board

Massage/Bodywork Therapy

Medical Examiners

Nursing

Occupational Therapy

Opticianry

Optometry

Pharmacy

Physical Therapy Examiners

Pilotage

Podiatry Examiners

Psychology

Pyrotechnic Safety

Real Estate Commission

Real Estate Appraisers Board

Residential Builders Commission

Social Work Examiners

Soil Classifier Advisory Council

Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology

Veterinary Medical Examiners

Each regulatory board is charged with regulating the conduct of its licensees. It can grant and deny professional licensure, and discipline licensees for misconduct under the governing practice act and controlling regulations. If you are dealing with an LLR licensing matter, you have the right to a strategic defense aimed at protecting your professional livelihood.

Our professional license defense attorneys have handled hundreds of LLR related matters. We understand that your professional license ensures your future livelihood. We will challenge the evidence against you, advocate for your right to continued practice, and fight proposed public disciplinary action.

Do I Have A Right To A Professional License In South Carolina?

In South Carolina, you do not have a right to be licensed in a particular profession.  Although there is no inherent right, each professional regulatory Board is created by statute. Each individual professional governing board maintains its own Practice Act which sets forth certain requirements to be eligible for a professional license. Applications for an LLR professional license are generally processed at the staff level unless the prospective licensee answers a question which requires a Board appearance.  The purpose of the Board hearing is to allow you to present sufficient evidence that you meet the statutory requirements to be issued a license and you are otherwise qualified to be issued a license.  

Do I Need An Attorney If I Have Received Notice of An Application Hearing?

You are not required to retain an attorney for an LLR application hearing. However, you should strongly consider consulting an experienced professional license defense attorney before you appear to discuss the facts specific to your case. 

Retaining an attorney for your application hearing will ensure that you have an advocate in your corner.  Our professional license defense attorneys will ensure that you are prepared.  When preparing for an application hearing, we work to ensure that all necessary remedial efforts are made before your appearance.  

How Do I Respond If the Investigator Tells Me That I Just Need to Answer A Few Questions? 

If you receive a call from an investigator with the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, you should proceed with caution. Although we routinely work, and maintain a professional working relationship, with a number of LLR investigators, and maintain a professional working relationship, the reality is if an investigator calls you, and a complaint has been initiated against your license, there must be a resolution for the complaint to be closed with the Department. The information relayed to the department at this stage is critical.  You do not want to miss the opportunity to present your defense.  You do not want for your statement to be misconstrued as an admission against your interest. We believe that an aggressive defense at the investigative stage as generally advantageous to most professional licensing cases.  If you have been contacted by an LLR investigator and advised that a complaint has been initiated against your license, take advantage of our consultation to learn more about the LLR investigative process and how a professional license defense attorney can be helpful to your case.

What is A Public Reprimand?  Should I Ask For An LLR Board Hearing?

Our professional license defense practice is extremely client driven. In most instances if public disciplinary action is offered, we strongly recommend that the client consider a hearing.  Public disciplinary action can have lasting consequences. It can impact current and future employment opportunities, limit your ability to advance your education, and result in practice based restrictions.  You have the right to retain an professional license defense attorney to challenge the evidence against you, help you make the remedial efforts necessary to prepare for a LLR board appearance, and to advocate on your behalf.  Proper preparation for your LLR Board hearing is critical.  Our professional licensing defense teams has defended licensed professionals in South Carolina for decades.  If you have questions about defending an LLR complaint, call us today to learn more about how we can help.