Practice areas: Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, Appellate; view more
Licensed in South Carolina since: 1985
Education: University of South Carolina School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2010 - 2018, 2025 - 2026 John S. Nichols, serving as of counsel at Bluestein Attorneys in Columbia, South Carolina, is a distinguished legal professional renowned for his proficiency in appellate advocacy, trial support, civil litigation, and professional responsibility and ethics consultation.
With a steadfast commitment to his clients, Mr. Nichols navigates the complexities of the legal system with skill and compassion, offering not only legal competence but also a reassuring presence during challenging times. His dedication to a client-focused practice has earned him high praise from his peers, who admire his meticulous attention to detail and his passionate drive to resolve his clients' legal issues.
Mr. Nichols' academic journey began with a degree in mathematics from Francis Marion College in 1978, followed by a law degree from the University of South Carolina in 1985. That same year, he was admitted to practice law in South Carolina. His legal acumen has since been recognized by several prestigious courts, including the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th and 11th Circuits, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Beyond his legal practice, Mr. Nichols is a respected figure in the legal community. He actively participates in several professional organizations such as the South Carolina Association for Justice, the John Belton O’Neall American Inn of Court, the Supreme Court Historical Society and the Richland County Bar Association.
Since 2013, Mr. Nichols has served as the chair of the South Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense, demonstrating his commitment to justice and public service. His previous involvement with the American Association for Justice Leaders Forum from 2008 to 2013 further highlights his leadership in the field.
In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Nichols is a proficient author, contributing valuable insights to the legal discourse. His peers have recognized his excellence with an AV Preeminent peer-review rating* through Martindale-Hubbell, a testament to his professional integrity and legal prowess.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Civil Litigation: Plaintiff, Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Appellate, Workers' Compensation: ClaimantFocus areas
Appeals, Personal Injury - Plaintiff
- 50% Civil Litigation: Plaintiff
- 30% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 10% Appellate
- 10% Workers' Compensation: Claimant
First Admitted: 1985, South Carolina
Professional Webpage: https://bluesteinattorneys.com/meet-our-attorneys/john-nicho...
Bar / Professional Activity
- South Carolina Bar
- American Association for Justice Leaders Forum, 2008-2013
- Richland County Bar Association
- Supreme Court Historical Society
- John Belton O’ Neall Inn of Court
- South Carolina Association for Justice
- United States Supreme Court
- US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
- US Court of Appeals Federal Circuit
- US Court of Appeals Eleventh Circuit
- US Court of Appeals Fourth Circuit
- US District Court, District of South Carolina
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- Celona v. Burnett, verdict $125,000 (June 2004)
- Allen v. Long Mfg. NC, Inc., 332 S.C. 422, 505 S.E.2d 354 (Ct. App. 1998).Bristow Oil Co. v. ExxonMobil, verdict $5,000,000 (Nov. 2008)
- Brooks v. Kay, 339 S.C. 479, 530 S.E.2d 120 (2000)
- City of Rock Hill v. Thompson, 349 S.C. 197, 563 S.E.2d 101 (2002)
- Smith v. Newberry County Assessor, 350 S.C. 572, 567 S.E.2d 501 (Ct. App. 2002)
- Hooper v. Ebenezer Senior Services, 2009 WL 4796129 (SC Sup. Ct. 2009)
- Ness v. Eckerd Corp., 350 S.C. 399, 566 S.E.2d 193 (Ct. App. Ct. App. 2002)
- Doe v. McMaster, 355 S.C. 306, 585 S.E.2d 773 (2003)
- Curcio v. Caterpillar, Inc., 355 S.C. 316, 585 S.E.2d 272 (2003)
- Gilliland v. Doe, 357 S.C. 197, 592 S.E.2d 626 (2004)
- Cowan v. Allstate Ins. Co., 357 S.C. 625, 594 S.E.2d 275 (2004) (amicus)
- Collins Holding Corp. v. Landrum, 360 S.C. 346, 601 S.E.2d 332 (2004)
- Cooke v. Palmetto Health Alliance, 367 S.C. 167, 624 S.E.2d 439 (Ct. App. 2005)
- Floyd v. Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co., 367 S.C. 253, 626 S.E.2d 6 (2005)
- Baggerly v. CSX Transport, Inc., 370 S.C. 362, 635 S.E.2d 97 (2006)
- Reed-Richards v. Clemson University, 371 S.C. 304, 638 S.E.2d 77 (Ct. App. 2006)
- Walsh v. Woods, 371 S.C. 319, 638 S.E.2d 85 (Ct. App. 2006)
- Doe Law Firm v. Richardson, 371 S.C. 14, 636 S.E.2d 866 (2006) (amicus)
- Taylor, Cotton, Ridley, LLC v. Okatie Hotel Group, LLC, 372 S.C. 89, 641 S.E.2d 459 (Ct. App. 2007)
- James v. Kelly Trucking Co., 377 S.C. 628, 661 S.E.2d 329 (2008)
- Horry County v. Parbel, 378 S.C. 253, 662 S.E.2d 466 (Ct. App. 2008)
Pro bono / Community Service
- Chair of American Cancer Society's "Coaches vs Cancer" committee at the University of SC, 1999-2009
- SC Bar Resolution of Fee Disputes Board member, 2016-2017
- South Carolina Commission on the Profession, 2017-2023
- Public Justice Foundation, 2000-2017
- Roscoe Pound Institute (Member Fellow), 2007-2008
- Furman University Riley Institute Diversity Fellow, 2010
- South Carolina Bar Board of Governors ad hoc member, 2013-2014
- Leadership Columbia Class of 2000
- Richland County Library Foundation Board 2009-2010.
Educational Background
- BS Mathematics, Francis Marion College 1978
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Service of Process in South Carolina (4th Ed.) (SC Bar)
- Where Have You Gone, Atticus Finch?, article, The Bulletin, SC Trial Lawyers Magazine (Summer 2000)
- Appellate Watch: Preserving Error from the Respondent’s Perspective, article, The Bulletin, SC Trial Lawyers Magazine (Winter 2000)
- When the Defendant Fails to Forward the Papers – Has Shores v. Weaver Been Statutorily Overruled?, article, The Bulletin SC Trial Lawyers Magazine (Summer 2001)
- Safeguarding the Truth in Court – The Doctrine of Judicial Estoppel, article, South Carolina Lawyer, SC Bar Magazine (January-February 2002)
- A Trail of Tiers: Limitations on Punitive Damages under South Carolina’s 2011 Tort Legislation, The Justice Bulletin SC Association for Justice Magazine (Fall 2011)
- What’s New?, column author, South Carolina Lawyer, SC Bar Magazine 2000-2004
- Ervin’s Jury Charges, Supplements, 1994-1996
- South Carolina Jurisprudence (West), Supplements 1993-1994
- Co-author, South Carolina Damages (2d Ed.) (SC Bar)
- Co-author, South Carolina Civil Procedure Fourth Ed. (“Flanagan on Civil Procedure”) (SC Bar)
- Co-author, The South Carolina Law of Torts (5th Ed.) (“Hubbard and Felix on Torts”) (SC Bar)
- Co-author, The Trial Handbook for South Carolina Lawyers (5th Ed.) (Thomson Reuters)
- Law School for Nonlawyer – South Carolina Tort Law (SC Bar), 2006-present
- Masters in Equity and Special Referees (4th Ed.) (SC Bar)
Other Outstanding Achievements
- Recipient SCTLA President's Award (2004, 2005)
Honors
- SC Bar Trial and Appellate Advocacy Award, 2016
- Martindale Hubbell AV Rating
- SC Lawyers Weekly Lawyer of the Year, 2013
- Francis Marion University Outstanding Alumnus Award, 2012
- SC Injured Workers Advocates President’s Award, 2014
- Supreme Court G. Dewey Oxner Mentor of the Year Award, 2014
- Richland County Bar Matthew Perry Civility Award, 2018
- SCAJ President’s Award, 2005, 2006, 2008
- SCAJ Marvin “Bo” Mullis Service Award, 2019
- SCAJ Matthew J. Perry Service Award, 2014
- SCAJ Founders Award, 2023
Industry Groups
- AAJ
- Federal Bar Association (SC Chapter)
- SCAJ
- SCIWA
- Southern Trial Lawyers Association
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2010 - 2018, 2025 - 2026
