803.779.5556

Bar Admissions

South Carolina

Florida

Michigan

U.S. District Court, South Carolina Division

U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit

U.S. Supreme Court

Member

South Carolina Bar

S.C. Trial Lawyers Association

S.C. Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

John O'Leary served as Executive Director at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy in Columbia, South Carolina from 1983 until January 1988.

John has served as Deputy for the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department, Michigan (1967) and the Wayne County Sheriff's Department, Michigan (1969). In 1970, Mr. O'Leary was appointed to the then newly-created office of Legal Coordinator for the Detroit Police Department by Commissioner Patrick Murphy, Detroit, Michigan.

John has also served as legal advisor and special officer to the Gary, Indiana Police Department and the Metropolitan Dade County Department of Public Safety, Miami, Florida.

 Mr. O'Leary joined the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy staff in late 1973 and served as Staff Attorney and Legal instructor until his appointment as Director in 1982.

 Mr. O'Leary received his B.A. Degree from The Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina (1966) and his J.D. at the University of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan (1969).  In addition, Mr. O'Leary attended graduate school at Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois (1970).

He is a member of the State Bar Associations of Florida, Michigan and South Carolina, and past chairman of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Legal Officer's Section, and life member of the I. A. C. P.

In late 1980, Mr. O'Leary was appointed to a Special, Non-Partisan Presidential Law Enforcement Task Force by President Ronald Reagan. In 1987, Mr. O'Leary was again appointed to a Law Enforcement Task Force on drugs sponsored by the White House Conference on a "Drug Free America." In addition, Mr. O'Leary has been appointed to several committees by both Governor Richard Riley and Governor Carroll Campbell in South Carolina. Such committees include Crime Delinquency and Juvenile Justice as well as Highway Traffic Safety and South Carolina Jail Commission.

Mr. O'Leary was recipient of the "Strom Thurmond Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement" in 1983.

He is past President of the National Association of State Directors of Law Enforcement Training (NASDLET).

Mr. O'Leary currently has offices in Columbia and Edisto Beach, South Carolina.  Among his clients, O’Leary serves as Counsel for the South Carolina Trooper's Association and South Carolina School Resource Officer's Association.  O’Leary currently serves as a trainer to Federal Law Enforcement throughout the United States on the issue of High Speed chases and frequently presents at state legal and judicial seminars on DUI and law enforcement issues.