Judge S. Bryan Doby was born in 1963 in Charleston, South Carolina. He is the son of James T. and Peggy F. Doby of Charleston, South Carolina. He is one of three siblings, all residing in South Carolina. He married Anna (McDaniel) Doby of Bishopville in 1989 and they have one son, James.

Judge Doby attended Charleston County public schools and graduated in 1981 from St. Andrews High School. He then attended the College of Charleston from 1981 to 1985, graduating with a BS in Economics. He began law school at the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1986, graduating in 1989, where he received his Juris Doctorate.

Upon graduation in 1989 he began practicing law in Columbia, South Carolina until January, 1992 when he began working with Jennings & Jennings, P. A. in Lee County and has been continually in practice with that law firm until the present. He is a member of the Lee County Bar Association. He is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. He also has many years of dedicated service as a public defender for Lee County.

Judge Doby's hobbies include hunting and fishing.