Joseph Preston "Pete" Strom, Jr. was born in Columbia, South Carolina in 1959. Pete graduated with a B.A. from the University of South Carolina in 1981 and received his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1984. Upon graduation from law school, he served as law clerk to the Honorable Frank Eppes, a state trial court judge. Pete then joined the Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor's (District Attorney) Office as an Assistant Solicitor. While Pete was there, he prosecuted the first heroin trafficking case in excess of 100 grams and handled over 200 drug cases. After a stint in private practice, where he was a partner in three law firms, he was named United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina in 1993. At the time Pete was appointed by Attorney General Janet Reno, he was the youngest U.S. Attorney in the country. As U.S. Attorney, Pete created the Violent Crimes Task Force in South Carolina, which Attorney General Reno referred to as "a national model for the country through a provocative violent crime initiative". He also served on Justice Department committees relating to organized crime, white collar crime, sentencing guidelines, and juvenile justice. He returned to private practice in 1996, founding the Strom Law Firm. Mr. Strom has been given an AV-Rating, the highest ranking possible, from the respected legal guide Martindale-Hubble.
The Strom Law Firm has expanded from its original focus on representing individuals and businesses in South Carolina to a firm that now represents clients in complex civil and criminal cases throughout the South Eastern U.S. and nationwide.
The Strom Law Firm's civil and administrative practice include individual cases and/or complex class actions involving personal injury, auto accidents, toxic torts, consumer protection cases, business disputes, pharmaceutical liability, Social Security disability, veterans' disability ratings, nursing home abuse and neglect, wills, trusts and estates, and workers' compensation. Our State and Federal criminal defense practice include misdemeanor offenses of all types; procedural matters that include bond hearings, parole hearings, probation hearings, Rule 35 proceedings, and expungements; and felonies that range from DUI and drug crimes charges to conspiracy, fraud and money laundering.