Judge Shiva V. Hodges was appointed to the bench of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina as a Magistrate Judge in 2010, where she has presided over bench and jury trials while managing employment discrimination and other civil cases, social security appeals, habeas corpus petitions, and prisoner civil rights actions. Additionally, Judge Hodges’s criminal duties include initial appearances, arraignments, detention/bond hearings, criminal complaints, search warrants, and grand jury matters. In addition to her formal role as a Magistrate Judge, she routinely handles mediations at the request of District Judges and federal practitioners. Before her appointment, Judge Hodges served as a career law clerk for six years to then-Chief District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. Prior to entering public service, she was a litigator for Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein, LLP, handling employment disputes, general civil disputes, and bankruptcy matters, practicing in the federal and state courts of South Carolina and North Carolina.
She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of South Carolina’s Honors College, a Juris Doctor from the USC School of Law, and a Master in International Business Studies (Italian track) from the Darla Moore School of Business.
Judge Hodges taught Advanced Legal Writing at the USC School of Law from 2013–2016 and is active in legal education and mentoring programs for lawyers and students. She is a frequent speaker on a variety of topics, including employment law issues, e-discovery, ethics and social media, and evidentiary pitfalls. Judge Hodges enjoys judging mock trials and arguments, including at the Department of Justice’s National Advocacy Center and middle and high school competitions.