Lewis Cromer retired from the active practice of law in 2021, but he remains a retired member of Cromer Babb & Porter. Lewis served the legal community with dedication and distinction for more than 60 years. Widely recognized as one of the best trial lawyers in the Southeast, Lewis has handled hundreds of jury trials and held state and national leadership positions in many of the distinguished associations and organizations of his profession during his 60-year career. He practiced law in Columbia, where he spent his entire career representing clients in the areas of employment law, governmental law, and communications law.

Over the years, Lewis’ work on behalf of clients earned him dozens of awards and recognitions, especially in the area of employment law, where he successfully sued state agencies, large corporations, and others, winning six-figure verdicts for clients in numerous cases. Lewis has worked on cases that have received local, state, and national media attention. His representation of government workers particularly has cast light on government corruption and injustice.

In February 2009, as a tribute to Lewis’ precedent-setting work in the past and his ongoing efforts on behalf of the legal profession, the public’s right to jury trial and his clients, the Southern Trial Lawyers Association presented Cromer with its prestigious War Horse Award. The award recognizes Lewis as a top courtroom advocate, leader in the trial bar, a contributor to the teaching of trial advocacy through seminars and educational programs and a true character of his time.

Lewis first attended Clemson University, then graduated from the University of South Carolina’s School of Law in 1959, and was admitted to the South Carolina Bar that same year.

Lewis was the managing partner at Cromer Babb & Porter, LLC when it was formerly known as Cromer Babb Porter & Hicks, LLC. He served at the helm of several successful predecessor law firms including J. Lewis Cromer & Associates, LLC and Cromer and Mabry, LLC.

He is married to his college sweetheart, Carolyn. They have a son, Bubba Cromer, who served in the South Carolina Legislature for many years and is presently Reading Clerk of the House of Representatives, and a daughter, Chelle Epps, who retired as the Deputy Registrar in the Richland County Voter Registration Office. Lewis and Carolyn also have two grandchildren who he works hard to convince to become Clemson Tigers.

Lewis, in his spare time, is an avid bridge player and has participated in competitive bridge throughout his lifetime. He is the present Ethics Chairman for the Columbia Bridge Center and was recently awarded the rank of Silver Life Master by the American Contract Bridge League indicating that he has received over 1000 master points in local, state, and national competitions.

• South Carolina Bar (1959)
• South Carolina and U.S. District Court District of South Carolina (1968)
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Georgia (1969)
• U.S. Supreme Court (1977)
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit

Memberships

• Richland County Bar Association (member, Litigation Section)
• American Bar Association (member, Litigation Section)
• South Carolina Bar Association (member, House of Delegates)
• South Carolina Association for Justice (formerly South Carolina Trial Lawyers Association) (member, Board of Governors, 1978-1985; Executive Committee, 1980-1982; Chairman, Employment Section)
• South Carolina Bar Foundation Sustaining Fellow
• Moot Court Team member
• S.C. Commission on Aging (Vice Chairman)
  County Attorney for Richland County, 1981-1985
• American Board of Trial Advocates (National Secretary, National Board of Directors)
  Co-chair of ABOTA National Leadership School

Awards

• Best Lawyers of South Carolina 2013
  Southern Trial Lawyers Association War Horse Award 2009
• South Carolina Super Lawyer, 2009, 2008
  Compleat Lawyer Award 2007 — established in 1992 by the Law School Alumni Association to recognize alumni for outstanding civic and professional accomplishments.
• South Carolina Trial Lawyer of the Year, 2002
  American Board of Trial Advocates Trial Lawyer of the year 2000
• Participant in numerous Masters in Trial programs throughout the United States
  Faculty member in Employment Law for the South Carolina Bar’s “Bridge the Gap” program — a requirement for admission to our state’s bar association.
• Distinguished Lawyer of the Year, 2022
  South Carolina Bar – Employment and Labor Law Section