Furman University

Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, is one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the Southeast. Founded by the Baptists, it is now an independent, nondenominational Christian college.

For whatever numerical rankings in news magazines may be worth, if anything, here are Furman’s recent rankings:

• #1 Private University in South Carolina
• #1 Small College in South Carolina
• #1 College Campus in South Carolina
• #46 National Liberal Arts College in U. S. News & World Report
• #46  Best Small College in America
• #21 Best College with No Application Fee in America
• #31 Best College Campus in America

Ken Shigley graduated from Furman in 1973, as did his father in 1950. After Furman, he went to law school at Emory University. When scheduling permits, he returns to judge college mock trial competitions at Furman.

A 2019 recipient of the “Tradition of Excellence” Award from the State Bar of Georgia General Practice & Trial Section, Mr. Shigley has earned three national board certifications from the National Board of Trial Advocacy – in Civil Trial Law, Civil Practice Law and Truck Accident Law. He is a board member of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys, former chair of the American Association for Justice Motor Vehicle Collision, Highway & Premises Liability Section, which includes the Trucking Litigation Group.

Mr. Shigley was lead author of eleven annual editions of Georgia Law of Torts: Trial Preparation and Practice, publisehd by Thomson Reuters West. His law practice is focused on catastrophic injury and wrongful death including those arising from commercial trucking accidents and those involving brain, neck, back, spinal cord, amputation and burn injuries.

In 2011-12, Mr. Shigley was president of the State Bar of Georgia, which includes all the lawyers and judges in Georgia. He also is a former chair of the Institute for Legal Education in Georgia (board member 2008-2019, chair 2012-13), State Bar of Georgia Tort & Insurance Practice Section (1994-95), and the Georgia Insurance Law Institute (1994).

A former prosecutor and former insurance defense lawyer, Mr. Shigley is a widower, father of two adult children, and an elder in his church.