Jury selection is the process in which the parties to a lawsuit—usually through their attorneys—ask questions of potential jurors seated in the courtroom (the jury panel or venire panel). Parties to a lawsuit—usually acting through their attorneys—may strike some potential jurors without stating a reason (peremptory strikes), and may ask the court to strike other potential jurors on the grounds the potential juror is biased, cannot be fair, or cannot follow the law—known as a strike for cause, challenge for cause, or removal for cause.

In South Carolina, jury selection is a critical phase of the trial process where attorneys from both sides select jurors to hear a case. The process begins with a pool of potential jurors, known as the venire panel. During voir dire, attorneys question these individuals to assess their suitability for jury service in the specific case. Attorneys have the right to request the removal of potential jurors for specific reasons, which is known as a 'challenge for cause.' Grounds for such a challenge can include a juror's bias, inability to be fair, or inability to follow the law. Additionally, attorneys are allowed a certain number of 'peremptory strikes,' which let them exclude potential jurors without providing a reason. However, these peremptory strikes cannot be used in a discriminatory manner, as established by federal constitutional law. The exact number of peremptory strikes available to each side can vary depending on the type of case and the specific rules of the court.