Beth Bernstein is a lifelong resident of Columbia, an attorney, and since 2012, the State Representative for House District 78, the district in which she was born. She was raised in a family where community involvement wasn't optional. Her parents, Carol and Isadore Bernstein, were fixtures in Columbia's civic life, and their example still influences her work today.
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Beth earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia and her law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. She practices law at Bernstein and Bernstein in Columbia alongside her brother, Lowell Bernstein, and her husband, Rip Sanders, where she focuses on helping families navigate real estate, probate, and injury cases — the same kitchen-table concerns she hears about from constituents every day.
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Beth and Rip are the proud parents of two daughters, Caroline and Isabel ("Issy").
Her Service in the House and Community
First elected in November 2012, Beth has been re-elected seven times by the voters of District 78. In the House, she serves as: Chairwoman of the Family, Business, and Probate Laws Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee — the only woman and only Democrat serving as a subcommittee chair; Secretary of the House Ethics Committee, elected by her colleagues for five consecutive terms; and Member (and past Chairwoman) of the Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children. She has also previously served as Chairwoman of the South Carolina General Assembly Women's Caucus and Vice Chair of the Richland County Legislative Delegation.
Her work has been recognized across the political spectrum. She is the recipient of the Conservation Voters of South Carolina's Green Tie Award; Child Advocate Award from the South Carolina chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Legislator of the Year from SmokeFree SC and the Sierra Club of South Carolina; Barbara Moxon Advocacy Award for championing women's issues; Legacy of Caring award from the USC College of Nursing; Girl Scouts of South Carolina-Mountains to Midlands Woman of Distinction, Richland County Bar Association John W. Williams, Jr. Distinguished Service Award; Southeast Small Business Magazine Top Women of Influence, Business Monthly’s Top 50 Most Influential People, and The State’s Top "20 under 40".
Beth is a fellow in Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellowships in Public Leadership Class of 2019. She also participated in The Riley Institute at Furman DLI Lowcountry Class XIV and the Class of 2017 Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills Program sponsored by Southern Legislative Conference and Council of State Governments. She is a graduate of Liberty Fellowship-Class of 2015, another leadership initiative sponsored by the Aspen Institute.
Beth is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Columbia and serves on First Reliance Bank – Midlands Advisory Board. She is past President of the Richland County Bar Association, and a 1998 graduate of Leadership Columbia. Over the years she has served on boards across the Midlands, including Hammond School, the Columbia Jewish Federation, Beth Shalom Synagogue, South Carolina Philharmonic, and Palmetto Health Cancer Center Board.
