Margie A. Pizarro, Esq.

Margie A. Pizarro, Esq., is, in alphabetical order, an attorney, bonus mom, business owner, cat/dog mom, daughter, educator, friend, go-getter, grandmother, life coach, mother, motivational speaker, published author, sister, social butterfly, and wife. 

She was born to a single mother in Walterboro, South Carolina, and was raised by her mother and her grandmother, both domestic workers. Margie may have grown up in what many would deem “poverty,” but not her! The faith, love, support, and encouragement she received from her family made up for any material possessions that might have passed that household by. Margie learned to love and how to be loved; to respect and how to earn respect; to fight and how to avoid a fight…and still win!

Margie is a former educator with 12 years experience as a classroom teacher. She left the classroom in 2004 to enroll in law school, graduating in 2007. Margie spent the first year in practice as an associate attorney at a prestigious criminal defense firm where she worked on high profile criminal matters.  In September 2008, Margie took a giant leap of faith and formed the Pizarro Law Firm, LLC, with offices in downtown Summerville, South Carolina and Harleyville, South Carolina where she also serves at the Town Attorney.

Margie’s practice has taken her to courts all over the place! She is licensed to practice in all South Carolina State and Federal Courts, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. Margie has had experience in celebrity and high-asset family court cases in Los Angeles County Superior Court through work with her mentor, the late Stephen A. Kolodny, Esq. Margie hopes to again work in a bi-coastal setting, particularly, in the Los Angeles area where she has developed a network of friends and colleagues.

Having been raised by a single parent, Margie appreciates the opportunities afforded to her, and she has used her practice and her law degree to give back to the community. In addition to serving on numerous boards and commissions, Margie has put her “boots on the ground,” providing assistance in real-time to members of underserved populations. She truly believes in returning the favor and paying it forward, and one of the standards by which she lives is “To whom much is given, much is required.” Her most recent community service event was helping to organize “Attorneys for J.U.S.T.I.C.E.,” a peaceful protest rally which served as a Call to Action not just for members of the Bar but members of our community as a whole. 

Margie’s motto is, “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly in every interaction.” She believes that everything we do in our chosen professions should begin with the realization that we are dealing with human beings.  She strives to do for others what many people did for her as her family experienced poverty and lack.  She knows what a food stamp is, and she wasn't to proud to use public assistance as it was the hand up she needed to get out and create a better future for her and her children.

Margie and her husband Laurentiis Milton Gaines, have a blended family of five sons, two daughters, and one granddaughter. Even though their professional careers could not be more different, they are united as one to see that their marriage and family succeed in spite of the too many obstacles that they face on the daily.....everyday she loves him and most days she likes him!