The Honorable Dorothy Mobley Jones was born October 7, 1952, in Union, SC to parents Mary Louise Setzler and Foster Evans Mobley. She received her bachelor’s degree in Education, with a minor in French from the University of South Carolina in 1974.
Before enrolling in the University of South Carolina School of Law, she taught English and French classes at Newberry High School for one school year. In 1978, she received her J.D. from USC School of Law and had the privilege of serving as a law clerk to Second Judicial Circuit Court Judge Rodney A. Peeples from 1978 to 1979.
Following her clerkship, she entered private practice of law, with the firm of Yarborough, Fallon & Mobley in Florence, SC. From 1979 until 1983, she engaged in the general practice of law, which included civil cases, with emphasis on family law, medical tort malpractice and products liability. In 1983, she associated with the law firm of Harvey L. Golden, P.A., and began what would then become a lifelong specialization in the practice of Family law. In 1994, she and Ken A. Lester formed the law firm of Lester & Jones, which specialized in family law.
In February 2005, she was elected by the legislature of the State of South Carolina to the position of Fifth Judicial Circuit Family Court judge. She regarded her election to this position as an honor and a sacred opportunity to serve. She believed the judicial branch of government was a hallmark of our democracy, in which people were able to settle grievances peaceably and in a civil manner. As she recognized the court room could be an intimidating environment for lawyers and litigants, she went out of her way to show respect, kindness and patience to everyone who appeared before her.
After retiring from the Court on December 1, 2018, she immediately proceeded to start a mediation practice, which would allow litigants an opportunity to expedite the resolution of their conflicts.
During her legal career, she served on the SC Bar Joint Commission on ADR/ Family Court and was a member of the SC Bar, Richland County Bar Association, Horry County Bar Association, the South Carolina Trial Lawyers’ Association and the South Carolina Women Lawyers Association.
For 30 years, she was an advocate and teacher of the law. She participated as a guest lecturer in numerous continuing legal education seminars sponsored by the SC Bar, including “Hot Tips” and the annual “Year End” Bench/Bar seminars for domestic practitioners. She was a recurring presenter with the “Bridge the Gap” program and “Orientation for New Judges School.”
By invitation, she served on the committees for the Chief Justice’s Docket Management Task Force and the Commission on the Profession. She also served on the Family Court Judges Advisory Committee and was a past chair of the SC Bar Family Law Section Executive Council. For years, she served as a member of the SC Bar Judicial Qualifications Committee.
Judge Mobley Jones was admitted to practice in SC and the U.S. District Court. She had the privilege on numerous occasions of sitting with both the South Carolina Court of Appeals and the South Carolina Supreme Court to deliberate cases.
Her life was filled with love in all areas and it shined through her infectious personality. She frequently enjoyed going to the beach with friends at Edisto Beach and visiting her son, Fendley & his wife, Sydney in Charleston, SC. She was also a dedicated “dog mom” to her precious pup, Hank Jones.
The Honorable Dorothy Mobley Jones died on January 20, 2021. She is survived by her son, Fendley Jones (Sydney); grandchildren, Reagan Jones and Judge Jones (named in her honor); and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved aunt, Dorothy S. Whitney.