Jeffrey Stephens

Originally from Macon, Georgia, Jeff Stephens holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia Tech, and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Tennessee. He served as an enlisted Marine Corps reservist in college and law school and was later commissioned as an officer. Jeff spent 10 years on active duty as a Marine Corps judge advocate, finally retiring from the Marine Corps Reserve after 22 years of service in 2016. Jeff’s military assignments included serving as a prosecutor, defense counsel, and recruit training company commander at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, assignments as an Appellate Defense and Appellate Government attorney with the Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy, and deployments to Fallujah, Iraq and to Bahrain as an operational law attorney. After leaving active duty, Jeff served for 5 years as an assistant solicitor for South Carolina’s 14th Judicial Circuit, prosecuting crimes committed in Beaufort and Jasper counties. He served for 3 years as a Beaufort County assistant public defender, and has been an attorney with the Quindlen Law Firm, P.A., since 2012. Jeff’s focus of practice is military, criminal, and criminal appellate law. He has been cited in the following appellate cases: Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals United States v. Bagstad, NMCCA 200602454 United States v. Kluemper, NMCCA 200602366 United States v. McCracken, NMCCA 200600484 United States v. McWhorter, NMCCA 200301592 United States v. Sullivan, NMCCA 200302040 Court of Appeals of the Armed Forces United States v. Harcrow, 66 M.J. 154 (C.A.A.F 2008) United States v. Pflueger, 65 M.J. 127 (C.A.A.F. 2007) United States v. Politte, 65 M.J. 24 (C.A.A.F. 2006) United States v. Riggins, 75 M.J. 78 (C.A.A.F 2016) United States v. Smead, 68 M.J. 44 (C.A.A.F. 2009) U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Smith v. OPM, 578 F. App’x 973 (Fed. Cir. 2014)

• Crime and Liability on a Yacht

  
  

  The incredibly popular reality show, Below Deck, follows the lives of crews working on Yachts of the mega-rich. Our presenter will discuss what happens when all manner of legal issues arise at sea. Using the show as a starting point, he will branch out into topics of the application of criminal law and civil law at sea, jurisdiction, and the Convention on the Law of the Sea.

• Uniform Laws on Land and Sea

  
  

  Our presenters will speak on the application of U.S. Uniform Laws, from the Abandoned Property Act to the Wills Recognition Act. The speakers will discuss key acts that may apply at home, abroad or at sea. They will also address the Uniform Law Commission and its role in the creation and passage of Uniform Laws.

• Ripped from the Headlines: Legal Ethics in the News

  
  

  Listen in as our speakers delve into the biggest ethical issues in the news from the last decade. Topics such as lawyers accused of scandalous misconduct or charged with serious crimes are becoming more common in today’s climate. With each case, the landscape of legal ethics evolves. Through discussion, our presenters guide the conversation of how these issues have shaped legal practice and the field of law as a whole.