As a Family Court attorney, native Charlestonian Melissa F. Brown draws from her professional, educational, and personal background to provide representation in complex divorce and custody cases, as well as child support and paternity cases.
A graduate of Ashley Hall High School, the University of Virginia, and the University of South Carolina School of Law, Mrs. Brown gained valuable experience as a clerk to South Carolina Circuit Court judge William L. Howard and as an Assistant Solicitor for the Ninth Judicial circuit. In 1993 Mrs. Brown entered private practice as an associate at Lee M. Robinson, PA and, in 1999, became a sole practitioner at Melissa F. Brown, LLC.
Mrs. Brown believes that it is important for lawyers to work together to enhance the bar's ability to serve the public, and as a result, she is involved in a number of law related organizations. She has served as the Chair of the South Carolina Family Court Section, and is a member of the American Bar Association’s Family Law Section, the American Bar Association’s Alimony Section, and the South Carolina Women’s Lawyer Association. She has also served as Treasurer of the Charleston County Bar Association’s Family Court Section. In law school, she was a member of the Order of the Barristers, the National Moot Court Team and the Moot Court Bar, and she participated in the National Moot Court Competition. Recently, Mrs. Brown was asked to serve on the Board for the Charleston County Center for Women.
 Mrs. Brown frequently lectures throughout the state and has written articles for The South Carolina Lawyer and The Law Journal, An Executive Guide to the Law. She has also published articles in continuing legal education manuals produced by the South Carolina Bar and the National Business Institute. As Chair of the South Carolina Law Council, her current publishing efforts include the South Carolina Family Lawyers’ Tool Kit, a handbook designed to "assist family court lawyers and judges to help cases proceed more efficiently in court."
Her practice was also significantly influenced by the lessons of her mentor, former Charleston County Bar president Lee M. Robinson. "Lee Robinson taught me how a good divorce attorney handles cases, and how, as women, we have unique characteristics and innate skills that will add to and benefit the legal profession."
Drawing upon this experience, Mrs. Brown’s goal as sole practitioner is to advocate for her clients through a very difficult process. "Good people get divorced," she says, "and these people deserve quality representation in a very unpleasant arena…One thing I can ensure is that I will advocate for my clients to achieve a result that is in their best interests and the best interests of their children."
As a strong supporter of marriage, however, Mrs. Brown’s ultimate goal is to utilize her experience in a different manner. "One day," she says, "I’d like to use the skills I have learned as a divorce attorney and help marriages stay together." She also looks forward to becoming more involved with the American Bar Association on the national level to impact the direction of family law.
Outside of the professional arena, Mrs. Brown enjoys spending time with her husband, Todd, and children Ellen Hudson and Fleetwood, as well as being involved at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church.
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