Elizabeth Franklin-Best, P.C. is a federal criminal defense firm ranked by Chambers USA 2026 as a Leading Firm in Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations in South Carolina. Founder Elizabeth Franklin-Best is ranked individually in Band 2 in that same category and is named in The Best Lawyers in America 2027 in three categories. We publish this record so that clients, colleagues, and referring attorneys can see exactly what the firm has been recognized for, by whom, and where to confirm it.
What Independent Recognition Means
Anyone can claim experience. Independent rankings are different. Chambers and Partners conducts its own research — interviewing clients, surveying the lawyers who work alongside and against a candidate, and assessing actual casework — before ranking anyone. Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review by other attorneys in the same practice area and region. Neither can be purchased, and neither can be self-nominated. A ranking describes professional standing and past work; it is not a guarantee, warranty, or prediction of the outcome of any legal matter.
Firm Honors
Chambers USA 2026 — Leading Firm, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (South Carolina). Chambers and Partners has ranked law firms worldwide since 1990 through independent research based on client feedback, peer interviews, and assessment of casework.
Elizabeth Franklin-Best
Elizabeth Franklin-Best is the firm’s founder and principal attorney. She was admitted to practice in New York in 2002 and in South Carolina in 2004, and is admitted to the Supreme Court of the United States and to twelve of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals.
Chambers USA 2026 — ranked individually in Band 2, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations, South Carolina. Band rankings are assigned after independent client and peer interviews assessing legal ability, client service, and professional reputation.
The Best Lawyers in America 2027 — recognized in three categories: Appellate Practice, Criminal Defense: White Collar, and Criminal Defense: General Practice.
Public Defender of the Year, 2010 — awarded by the South Carolina Public Defender Association for her work in indigent defense, where her appellate practice began.
Chambers USA 2026 — Band 2, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
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The Best Lawyers in America 2027 — three categories
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South Carolina Public Defender of the Year, 2010
Peer and Client Ratings
Avvo Rating 10.0 “Superb” — Avvo’s highest rating, based on experience, professional conduct, and peer endorsements. Justia Lawyer Rating 10.0 — rated by fellow attorneys across legal knowledge, legal analysis, communication skills, and ethics and professionalism.
Avvo Rating 10.0 “Superb”
Justia Lawyer Rating 10.0
Federal Court Admissions
Federal-court admission is distinct from state licensure — it is what allows a lawyer to appear in a given federal court, and it is the practical basis of this firm’s nationwide federal practice.
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Supreme Court of the United States
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
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U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
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U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
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U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
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U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
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U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
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U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina
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U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
Also admitted:
- State Courts of New York (admitted 2002)
- State Courts of South Carolina (admitted 2004)
- U.S. District Courts: District of Columbia; Northern District of Illinois; Northern District of Ohio; District of Maryland; Eastern District of Michigan; District of South Carolina; Southern District of Texas
Christopher Zoukis
Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA, is the firm’s Managing Director and leads its federal prison consulting practice. He is one of the most widely cited writers in the United States on the Federal Bureau of Prisons, with 195 citations and an h-index of 7 on Google Scholar.
His Prison Law Blog was named to the ABA Journal’s Blawg 100 for 2016, the Journal’s annual list of 100 legal blogs, recognized for serving criminal justice professionals, attorneys, incarcerated people, and their families. He also received the Witkin Award for Academic Excellence (highest grade in Judicial Process) and the Reynoso Academic Achievement Award (highest grade in Advanced Negotiations) at the University of California, Davis School of Law.
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ABA Journal Blawg 100 (2016)
Witkin Award for Academic Excellence
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Reynoso Academic Achievement Award
Standing and Published Work
Christopher Zoukis is the author of the Federal Prison Handbook (2017), the Directory of Federal Prisons (2020), the Prison Education Guide (2016), and College for Convicts (2014) — reference works relied on by defense attorneys and families nationwide.
Elizabeth Franklin-Best is the author of Reversing Your Criminal Conviction: Develop Your Winning Strategy (2023), and has published analysis in Law360, The Champion (NACDL), Best Lawyers, and South Carolina Lawyer.
Professional Leadership
Appointments are distinct from awards — they reflect responsibility given by an organization rather than recognition received from one. Elizabeth Franklin-Best serves as Co-Vice Chair of the NACDL Amicus Curiae Committee for the Fourth Circuit and as Board Chair of Justice 360, and is a charter member and South Carolina co-leader of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association. Christopher Zoukis serves as Chairman of the Board of the Human Rights Defense Center.
For the firm’s latest coverage, see In The News.
Common Questions
Is Elizabeth Franklin-Best ranked by Chambers USA?
Yes. Chambers USA 2026 ranks her individually in Band 2 for Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations in South Carolina, and ranks Elizabeth Franklin-Best, P.C. as a Leading Firm in the same category.
What is Elizabeth Franklin-Best recognized for in Best Lawyers?
She is named in The Best Lawyers in America 2027 in three categories: Appellate Practice, Criminal Defense: White Collar, and Criminal Defense: General Practice. Best Lawyers recognition is based entirely on peer review by attorneys in the same practice area and region.
How are these rankings decided?
Chambers and Partners conducts independent research — interviewing clients, surveying the lawyers who work alongside and against a candidate, and assessing actual casework. Best Lawyers is peer review only. Neither can be purchased or self-nominated.
Verify these rankings at the source
What courts is the firm admitted to?
Elizabeth Franklin-Best is admitted to the Supreme Court of the United States, twelve of the thirteen U.S. Courts of Appeals, and seven U.S. District Courts, plus the state courts of New York (2002) and South Carolina (2004). Additional federal courts are available pro hac vice.
Has Christopher Zoukis been recognized?
Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA, is one of the most widely cited writers in the United States on the Federal Bureau of Prisons, with 195 citations and an h-index of 7 on Google Scholar. His Prison Law Blog was named to the ABA Journal’s Blawg 100 for 2016, and he received the Witkin Award for Academic Excellence and the Reynoso Academic Achievement Award.
Do awards guarantee a particular result?
No. A ranking describes professional standing and past work. It is not a guarantee, warranty, or prediction of the outcome of any legal matter.
Elizabeth Franklin-Best is the attorney responsible for this content. Elizabeth Franklin-Best, P.C., 3710 Landmark Dr #113, Columbia, South Carolina 29204.
Speak With a Recognized Federal Appellate Lawyer
Recognition describes past work; it is not a prediction about any case. What it does tell you is that the firm’s appellate work has been independently assessed by clients and peers. Representation begins with a paid, one-hour consultation reviewing the record and the options that remain.
Federal appeals and post-conviction motions are governed by strict deadlines.
Reviewed for legal accuracy by Elizabeth Franklin-Best, Esq., Principal Attorney·September 2026