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 all twelve United States Courts of Appeals that hear criminal appeals. Her practice is limited to federal matters: federal appeals, post-conviction relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, white-collar criminal defense, federal sentencing, and compassionate release.
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 recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for Appellate Practice. This page is the firm’s complete and current record of independent rankings, awards, and peer recognition.
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. Neither can be purchased, advertised into, or self-nominated for.
What they do not mean is equally important. A ranking describes professional standing and past work. It does not predict what will happen in your case, and no lawyer — ranked or otherwise — can promise you an outcome. We publish this record so that clients, colleagues, and referring attorneys can see exactly what our firm has been recognized for and by whom, and where to confirm.
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 legal work. Verify this ranking on chambers.com.
Elizabeth Franklin-Best
Chambers USA 2026
Ranked individually in Band 2, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations, South Carolina. Chambers band rankings are assigned after independent client and peer interviews assessing legal ability, client service, and professional reputation within a single practice area and jurisdiction.
The Best Lawyers in America 2026
Recognized for Appellate Practice. Best Lawyers recognition is based entirely on peer review: attorneys are evaluated by the lawyers who work alongside and against them in the same practice area and region.
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.
Peer Ratings
Court Admissions
Supreme Court of the United States
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the First Circuit
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second Circuit
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Third Circuit
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
U.S. Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia
U.S. District Courts for the District of Columbia
U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Ohio
U.S. District Courts for the District of Maryland
U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. District Courts for the District of South Carolina
U.S. District Courts for the Southern District of Texas
State Courts of New York (2002)
State Courts of South Carolina (2004)
Professional Leadership (appointments, which are distinct from awards)
- Co-Vice Chair, Amicus Curiae Committee for the Fourth Circuit, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Chair, Board of Directors, Justice 360
- Charter member and South Carolina Co-Leader, Women’s White Collar Defense Association
- Member, American Bar Association White Collar Crime Committee and International White Collar Crime Committee
- Member, International Bar Association
- Member, South Carolina Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Published Work
- Author, Reversing Your Criminal Conviction: Develop Your Winning Strategy (2023)
- Published analysis in Law360, The Champion (NACDL), Best Lawyers, and South Carolina Lawyer.
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 standing rests on an unusual combination: formal legal training paired with years of firsthand experience of the federal prison system, which he turned into four reference works on how that system actually works — books relied on by defense counsel and families nationwide.
ABA Journal Blawg 100, 2016
His Prison Law Blog was named to the ABA Journal’s Blawg 100 for 2016, the Journal’s annual list of 100 legal blogs. The ABA Journal’s entry recognized the blog for serving criminal justice professionals, attorneys, incarcerated people, and their families.
Witkin Award for Academic Excellence
University of California, Davis School of Law, for the highest grade in Judicial Process.
Reynoso Academic Achievement Award
University of California, Davis School of Law, for the highest grade in Advanced Negotiations.
Standing and Published Work
- Author of the Federal Prison Handbook (2017), Directory of Federal Prisons (2020), Prison Education Guide (2016), and College for Convicts (2014) — reference works relied on by defense attorneys and families nationwide.
- Chairman of the Board of Directors, Human Rights Defense Center, publisher of Prison Legal News and Criminal Legal News
- Quoted on federal prison policy by CNN, The Washington Post, USA Today, the Associated Press, Bloomberg Law, and The Guardian.
Common Questions
Q:
Is Elizabeth Franklin-Best ranked by Chambers USA?
A:
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.
Q:
What is Elizabeth Franklin-Best recognized for in Best Lawyers?
A:
She is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for Appellate Practice. It reflects her federal appellate and post-conviction work, including direct appeals, motions under 28 U.S.C. § 2255, compassionate release, and sentence reductions.
Q:
How are Chambers and Best Lawyers rankings earned?
A:
Both are independent and research-driven. Chambers conducts client and peer interviews and assesses actual casework before ranking a lawyer or firm. Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review by other attorneys in the same practice area and region. Neither can be purchased nor self-nominated.
Q:
Which courts is Elizabeth Franklin-Best admitted to?
A:
The Supreme Court of the United States, all twelve United States Courts of Appeals that hear criminal appeals, seven United States District Courts, and the state courts of New York and South Carolina.
Q:
Does a ranking or award guarantee a result in my case?
A:
No. Rankings recognize professional standing and past work. They do not predict or guarantee the outcome of any legal matter, and no lawyer can promise you a result. Every case depends on its own facts.
Closing
This page is updated whenever a new recognition is announced. For the firm’s latest news, see In the News. To discuss a federal criminal matter, contact Elizabeth Franklin-Best, P.C., for a confidential consultation.
Disclaimer
Attorney rankings and awards are provided for informational purposes only. They are not a guarantee, warranty, or prediction of the outcome of any legal matter. Every case depends on its own facts. Elizabeth Franklin-Best is the attorney responsible for this content.
Elizabeth Franklin-Best, P.C., 3710 Landmark Dr #113, Columbia, South Carolina 29204.
