David Pearlman has spent his entire life observing the dignity of and respect for the law, thanks to the example of his father, the Honorable Gus H. Pearlman, who was probate judge for Charleston County for 35 years. “He taught me that everybody deserves respect, dignity, and equal justice, no matter their background,” David says. He has spent his entire career trying to ensure that “justice for all” means just that, beginning even before going into practice by marching for civil and workers’ rights as a student at both the University of Georgia and George Washington University.

After receiving his law degree from the University of South Carolina Law School in 1976, David joined the Steinberg Law Firm. “Irving Steinberg founded the firm to help the working people of South Carolina,” he says, “which is why it’s always been the perfect place for me to practice law.” In 1980, he became a partner of the firm.

David has been a member of the South Carolina Bar for more than 40 years and has won landmark cases before the South Carolina Court of Appeals and the South Carolina Supreme Court. He has been credited in protecting working people through victories against some of the country’s largest corporations.

David served as an adjunct professor of workers’ compensation law at the Charleston School of Law for two years, has lectured about workers’ rights, and served on numerous committees devoted to such concerns, including as legislative chairperson for South Carolina Injured Workers’ Advocates (IWA) for the last 12 years. He is a past recipient of the Gedney M. Howe Jr. Award for Outstanding Public Service and a 2011 and 2017 honorable recipient of the Leadership in Law recognition by Lawyers Weekly. For over a decade, he has been named one of the Best Lawyers in America and has been nominated by his peers as a Super Lawyer year after year. He also holds the highest professional and ethical rating (AV) in Martindale-Hubbell, a prestigious legal directory.

Not only is David highly respected by his peers; he is deeply loved by his staff because of his character and passion for helping people. He is a champion in his profession and dedicated to community outreach. Among his volunteer activities, he helps local first responders and law enforcement personnel cope with mental injuries sustained as a result of their jobs. He also supports the Trident Literacy Association, which helps adults reverse the cycle and impact of generational poverty and illiteracy by helping them acquire vital life skills.

David and his wife of 39 years, Janet, live on Sullivan’s Island and have two children. He is proud to say that their children are following his family’s tradition of legal service: Their daughter is a lawyer in Chicago, and their son is a lawyer in New York City.