Chad Shelton
Attorney
Bio
Chad was born and raised in St. Charles, Missouri. He attended Valparaiso University, where he studied political science with a business minor and played on the football team, graduating in 2004. That same year, he moved to Charleston to join the inaugural class at Charleston School of Law, graduating in 2007.
During law school, Chad moved to Goose Creek in Berkeley County and began immersing himself in the local community. After graduating, he joined the Berkeley County Public Defender’s Office, where he handled hundreds of cases, from minor misdemeanors to serious felonies, including murder. He earned not guilty verdicts in numerous trials, including assault and armed robbery cases. In 2015, Chad furthered his expertise by graduating from the National Criminal Defense College in Macon, GA.
In 2016, Chad opened his own law office in downtown Summerville, expanding his practice to include magistrate and municipal courts, where he achieved not guilty verdicts in over a dozen cases. He also broadened his focus to include simple estate planning, civil defense, personal injury, and family law. His dedication and skill earned him recognition as a Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorney by the National Trial Lawyers Association in both 2019 and 2020.
In 2020, Chad joined Price Benowitz to further his criminal defense practice across South Carolina. While there, he secured dismissals in numerous serious cases, including murder, assaults, DUIs, and other traffic offenses.
Chad lives in Summerville with his wife, Whitney, their two children, Brian and James, and two stepchildren, Erica and Chase. He has served on several local boards, including Chase After a Cure, a non-profit supporting childhood cancer research, as a commissioner of the Summerville Church Men’s Softball League. Chad also coached youth baseball and was a Cub Scout den leader. He is an active member of the Summerville Rotary Club and St. Luke’s Lutheran Church.
Outside of work, Chad enjoys volunteering, attending his children’s sporting events, running, lifting weights, and occasionally playing golf.