John Lester earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1964 and a Juris Doctor degree in 1967, both from the University of South Carolina. He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, United States Fourth Circuit of Appeals, United States Federal District Court of South Carolina, Supreme Court of South Carolina, and Court of Military Appeals.

He has been chairman of the board of his church, president of a United Way agency, vice-president of a community theater, board member of the state trial lawyers association, founding member of the military law section of the state bar, vice-president for the Air Force for the local Reserve Officers Association, president of the South Carolina Bankruptcy Law Association, and city judge. He has a commercial pilots license, is a certified SCUBA diver, holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do (Korean Karate), has been a judge and referee for amateur boxing, is a certified barbeque judge and has won numerous awards at the South Carolina State Fair for his wines.  He has been awarded the Billy Robinson Public Service Award, and has been the South Carolina Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year.

He is a retired Major General, having served as Commander of the Joint Services Department, South Carolina Military Department. Prior to joining the South Carolina Military Department, he retired as a Colonel from the United States Air Force Reserves. The Governor of South Carolina awarded him the Order of the Silver Crest, the State’s highest award for volunteers and community service.

He has been a speaker at seminars, including Annual Bankruptcy Conventions, South Carolina League of Savings Institutions and South Carolina Bar Functions.  He is an approved attorney for Chicago Title Insurance Company and for North American Title Insurance Company SC.

He is married to the former Jane Mellette of Timmonsville. They have a daughter, Lydia, a summa cum laude graduate from the University of Arizona who served in the Peace Corps in Paraguay, South America; she now works as a certified court interpreter for Hispanics. Their son, Robert, finished The Citadel and now works as a Civil Engineer for Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.