Moultrie Douglas attended The Citadel and the University of South Carolina. He read law in his father’s law office rather than attend law school. He practiced law in Winnsboro for more than 50 years where his father, W.D. Douglas (1866–1951), and grandfather, Alexander S. Douglas (1833–1914), practiced before him. Together, their practice spanned more than 125 consecutive years.
The array of prominent clients that he represented was proof of his stature in the community and in the legal profession. He served as Fairfield County Attorney for more than fifty years. A man of the highest integrity, he disdained pretense and sham. He was a firm advocate, yet was courteous with his adversaries. He was full of good humor and stories of courts and lawyers past. His memory of personalities, titles and the law was encyclopedic and precise and was freely shared with other members of the Bar. He regarded the practice of law as a public trust rather than as a conduit to great wealth.
He was a respected lawyer and legislator, a good businessman, a loyal friend and, above all, a dedicated and faithful husband and father.