It’s important to dream and set goals for your life so that you have an idea of where you want to go. It’s also important to understand that life does not always go as we plan and to be okay with rerouting for our purpose and the greater good. Sometimes the detour routes us to where we want to be with more than we imagined which is what I learned from Attorney and Senator Ronnie Sabbs of Sabb Law Group. A pillar within the community serving for more than 25 years awarding more than $400,000 in scholarships to Voorhees College it is an honor to share a portion of his journey with our Sheen Family.
Growing up, did you know you would be an Attorney?
No, I had no idea. I don’t know that in my earlier years I appreciated the world and professional positions out there. The first thing that attracted my attention was my love for basketball; I wanted to play basketball and I wanted to coach as well. In order to coach basketball you would have to be a teacher is what I thought, so I grew up wanting to be a math teacher and a coach.
What drew your interest in math?
I was a natural at it, I loved playing cards. The key to playing cards is remembering the cards that have been played. You have to count the various number of cards and the various suits that have been played. When I was very young my mother and her friends loved playing the game Big Whist and they taught me because they did not have enough players to play sometimes. I would sit on pillows to see over the table and remember the cards played. My friend Jerome, his mother once said he’s going to be really good in math after watching me play cards and to this day I believe I developed the love for math from playing cards.
Attorney Sabb studied Liberal Arts concentrating on Math in 1976 and graduate from Voorhees College in 1980. He then moved to Florida due to having challenges finding a job in South Carolina. He began working in the area of mental health at a hospital but while out one day enjoying his love for basketball he meet two teachers on the court. One of the teachers taught during the day and attended law school at night. Through conversation he learned their was a shortage of math teachers and these gentlemen connected him to someone who helped him become a math teacher; he was also able to coach basketball which was his dream. The other teacher was a lawyer who inspired him to consider law school. He worked two full-time jobs; one as a math teacher while coaching basketball and the other as a mental health technician at night living off of one income while saving the other. He loved the money he made but concluded he could not work two full time jobs the rest of his life. After a comparative analyst of medical school and law school various reasons helped him decide to attend law school and after coming home as a lawyer he looked to get involved in his community. In 1988 he ran for the school board at large which was his second stent in politics because he was elected Vice President of the student association which gave him a taste of politics in college. He was fortunate enough to garner enough support to win and become a county wide member of the school board. Two years after serving on the school board he was approached about the appointed position as Assistant Solicitor which he accepted. He was released from his duties on the school board due to his new role as Assistant Solicitor. For 20 years Ronnie Sabb prosecuted cases on behalf of the state of South Carolina working to clean the area of violent crime.
When did you decide to become a Senator? What was your reason for running?
After the passing of my wife, Jennifer G. Sabb in 2004, I became a single dad to my daughter Whitney A. Sabb. She graduated high school in 2008 and I wasn’t sure of what I was going to do as a single man; I was kind of living for my daughter. Around this time a good friend of mine, Ken Kennedy decided to retire from his service in the house of representatives. I thought it would be a new different challenge running for the South Carolina House of Representatives. In 2010 I was successful in this pursuit serving in the house for two terms. When senator Yancey McGill became the Lieutenant Governor it created a vacancy in the Senate seat. After praying about it and analyzing what it takes to become a senator and learning what other candidates were offering, I concluded in my mind that I was more qualified and best suited for the position and decided to run which was successful.
During this time, when did you decide to open your Law Firm?
I clerked for Judge Clifton Newman in 1985 while attending law school, The University of Florida and absolutely loved the experience. When I came home during the winter break, over the Christmas holiday I bumped into him and was offered a job. He was kind enough to give me a clerkship that summer and I worked along side of him and loved what he was doing and I was doing. I came home in 1987, he offered me a job fresh out of law school and I started practicing law. In 2000, Attorney Newman decided he would become a judge and when he became a judge I bought the law firm he and I had at the time. We held three offices: Kingstree, SC; Lake City,SC; and Columbia, SC. He Primarily worked in Kingstree and Columbia as I worked the office in Lake City. The name of the law firm was Newman and Sabb as he was the lead partner and I junior partner and when he left the name became The Law office of Ronnie Sabb. Essentially I bought the Kingstree office and the Lake City office and he got the Columbia office. It was really challenging opening the firm in my name; I heard on the streets that the office would go down in the quality of service. I was determined to not let that happen. At this time my wife, Veretta J. Sabb, whom I married in 2018 was ready to retire from South Carolina state due to the distant drive. While she and I talked about her retiring and doing the things she wanted to do and allowing me to work we had not financially planned for Attorney Newman leaving, but being the wonderful wife she is she understood when I spoke to her about this and continued working. One of the things I knew we had to do was invest in the business differently; it had to look better in order for people to walk in because perception is 50 percent reality right? When people walk in and see improvements rather than a decline then the thought process changes instead of saying he went down they say he went to another level. So I invested in a lot of high end furniture, changed the look of the front of the office, all with my wifes approval and we never missed a beat. what people said might have been their initial perception but it never became our reality. One of the great things that I hear, one that continues to encourage me is when Judge Newman says to me he is proud of what we’ve done with the business that he started.
What are the important signs the community should look for when electing a political figure?
You have to look at ones voting record and you have to look at how we advocate for certain things in our budget because the states budget shows what the priorities are. The challenge that I’ve had as a democrat is that the republicans still control the direction that the state hits in, so the question is how can we work with them and be impactful with some of the agenda items we believe are important to the state of South Carolina? I believe when people look at my record, they see someone advocating for public education advocating for a continued infrastructure and ways to make South Carolina a better place for everybody to live. My philosophy continues to be that a persons way of living doesn’t negatively impact or interfere with someone elses way of living. Those are the liberties and freedoms that they should enjoy as an American, as a South Carolinian and its wrong for us to enact laws that essentially restrict those freedoms and those liberties. You have to look at a persons voting record, obviously It’s important to pay attention to what they say and how they say it but their voting record in my mind is most important, in addition to the kind of service they give to the community. Are they accessible? Are they approachable? Do they work hard? This is hard work; a lot of people believe we only work when in session in Columbia from January through May but the reality is I work harder at home when I’m out of session. Its a year around commitment that we have and not a part time commitment as it’s perceived by others. The other thing that I think is important is that people understand it is a service job; the base pay for legislators is $10,400. That’s what we are paid to perform the services we give; obviously that’s nothing that one could live off of. Their is also a built in problem their because when compensation is so low and I don’t say this for me, but you get a select type of person that is able to be in Columbia so its mostly retirees or people with means. The average person can’t live off of a a salary like that and most jobs won’t give them the flexibility to be able to be gone three days a week for five months. So that’s a built in problem in terms of the kind of people you’re going to have; mostly we have retirees or people who have the flexibility who own their own business like lawyers.
How important is it for you to be involved in the community?
Extremely important. I realize the enormous responsibility that comes along with the position of trust that people have given to me. I view my involvement as an opportunity because I don’t really know what all the needs are; you learn the needs through the people. You have to be visible, you have to be involved with what’s happening with others and thats really kind of what motivates you to be able to do the things you can. If not progressively improving situations, circumstances and lives then for me its hard to deal with me because I have to believe in what I do and that I’m making a difference a positive impact. The best way to measure that is based upon your involvement and the feedback that you’re getting from people about what you’re doing. It’s critical that a senator be extremely involved in his or her community.
What opportunities would you like see our youth take advantage of in the community?
I just want them to focus on themselves holistically. It is important for them to learn how to study and to apply themselves while in school, but it is also important for them to be well rounded and being involved in extracurricular activities and organizations so that they can learn that they will be working jobs within addition to working jobs after they graduate. They need to be involved in the community as well and making their community a better place. I think you gain some insight into that by being involved in the Beta Club, Explore Scouts, Boy Scouts, French Club, Drama Club, Football Team, Basketball Team, Cheerleading, I just love seeing children develop holistically. It’s not for us to force religion on anyone but I know what being a Christian has meant to my life and I wish that upon them in the extent that they are open to that. It’s cliche but they really are our future and we have an obligation to make sure that our education system is such that it gives them a fair shot at being successful. I know that education is not necessarily the key to everyones success, but when you look at the majority, education helps the majority more than those few that find a different path.
Are their any activities you would like to see implemented to help the youth?
Recreation, quality of life activities are very important. As we work on the Black River State Park, as we work on the swimming pool at Saint Marks Community Center, pickle ball courts, walking trails, learning what is needed to have skateboarding in the area. I think we have to be in tune with what the trends are and try to create the kinds of activities that are consistent with their growth and development. That’s one of the reasons I believe it is so important for us to be involved in the community and to stay linked to them so that they can express what they believe is needed in order for them to have a good quality of life growing up. I’m continuously opened to how we can find ways to keep their entrance and keep them out of trouble.
Have you accomplished the goals you’ve set for your career?
No, I think I’m like Denzel Washington when it comes to that; I was watching an interview and they asked Denzel what’s his best movie, his greatest role and he said the next one. I think for me the next case is probably going to be my greatest case, but I have exceeded my expectations in a number of ways. To be involved in the Emmanuel Nine litigation, one of the most horrific situations the United States of America or perhaps the world has seen. To be a part of helping those families has been an extremely rewarding experience. I’ve had the chance to go to Washington to meet with Attorney General Merrick Garland and Vice President Kamala Harris on behalf of those families has certainly been a highlight to my professional career. To be involved with the writing of the legislation for the Camp Lejune Justice Act has certainly been the highlights of my professional career and the opportunity to be associated with such great lawyers across the state have been major highlights and the trust that people have placed in me over the span of my 37 year career. Watching clients such as yourself grow up and come into your own and knowing that we have a relationship, all of those things have been extremely rewarding and important in addition to the big ticket items we’ve been a part of over the years. I still say the best highlight is the next one.
Advice that Senator Sabbs would like to give future voters is to know the importance of your information sources. Current and future voters, are going to have to make sure that they are able to dissect the information in such a way that you are able to distinguish fact from fiction.
If you would like to reach him and his team he visit ronniesabb@sabblaw.com
Photo Credit: Michaele Duke
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