ANNA SWIFT

ETLAW President

JENNIFER D. FRANKLYN 

ETLAW Secretary

Jennifer Franklyn is Corporate Counsel and a Regulatory Compliance Associate at Realty Trust Group, LLC, where she manages legal advice and day-to-day legal matters to support RTG’s provision of customized healthcare real estate solutions through advisory, development, transactional, operational, and compliance services. Jennifer also has a hands-on role in healthcare real estate regulatory compliance engagements with health systems, focusing on compliance with the Stark Law, the Anti-Kickback Statute, and the False Claims Act.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2016. She is licensed to practice law in the state of Tennessee and is also admitted to practice in the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Tennessee and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Prior to joining RTG, Jennifer worked for a state-wide litigation firm, where she practiced primarily civil defense litigation.

Jennifer is involved in the Knoxville Bar Association, where she serves on the Publications committee and prepares a monthly q-and-a column featuring new attorneys in the KBA’s monthly publication, DICTA. When she is not working or engaged in professional pursuits, Jennifer and her spouse, Garett, enjoy traveling, trying new restaurants, cheering on the Tennessee Volunteers and the Memphis Grizzlies, and enjoying the natural beauty of East Tennessee.

STEPHANIE COLEMAN

ETLAW Historian

Stephanie Coleman is a partner at Owings, Wilson & Coleman in Knoxville, Tennessee. Stephanie graduated summa cum laude from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, with a B.A. in 2005. She earned her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2008. While there, she was named to the Order of Barristers, achieved Dean’s List, and received Certificates of Excellence in Contracts II and Contract Drafting. She also argued for the Labor and Employment Law Moot Court Team at the National Competition in New York. She was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 2008 and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee in 2009.

As a partner at Owings, Wilson & Coleman, Stephanie provides general counsel services to businesses throughout East Tennessee. As a day-to-day resource for the companies with which she works, Stephanie reviews contracts, assists in collections, and advises on employment law issues including unemployment claims and issues related to the ADA, FLSA, and FMLA. She has drafted employment handbooks, policy and procedure manuals, and affirmative action plans and serves as a resource to ensure compliance with local and federal laws and regulations.

KATIE JONES

ETLAW Programming Chair

Professor Katie Tolliver Jones joined the Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law (LMU Law) in August of 2017. Before joining the faculty of LMU Law, Professor Jones worked at the law firm of Holbrook, Peterson, Smith, PLLC in Knoxville, Tennessee. While at the firm, she focused on estate planning and civil litigation.

In 2010 Professor Jones was selected by the American Bar Association Section of Taxation for one of two national fully-funded, two-year public service tax fellowships. As a public service fellow, she worked as an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands to set up a low-income tax clinic serving eight counties in Appalachia. Professor Jones represented clients in administrative proceedings, negotiated settlements with the IRS, and represented clients in complex Federal Tax Court litigation. She also handled matters involving housing law, domestic violence, family law, juvenile law, elder law, disability law, and employment law and taught continuing legal education seminars. Professor Jones worked for the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands for a total of 10 years, having begun as a volunteer and law clerk.

Professor Jones grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and completed her undergraduate studies at The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She graduated with honors in political science and sociology with a minor in social and economic justice.

Professor Jones earned her J.D. at the University of Tennessee College of Law. During law school, she received authorization from the IRS to represent clients in administrative hearings and litigation. She was also licensed as a student attorney by the Tennessee Supreme Court to handle other types of cases. She represented clients in the domestic violence clinic and the education law practicum and served on the Tennessee Law Review.

Professor Jones enjoys legal writing and strives to help students use their individual strengths to succeed and develop the skills needed to practice law.

In her spare time, Professor Jones volunteers for community organizations and enjoys hiking, reading, cooking, Tar Heels basketball, and travelling. She is fluent in conversational and written Spanish.

BIANCA WHITE

Community Outreach Chair

Bianca White is an assistant professor of law and assessment librarian at Lincoln Memorial University’s Duncan School of Law. Bianca teachers courses in legal research, bar skills, and labor and employment law. Additionally, she has worked with law libraries as a legal research attorney since 2011. Prior to this experience, she worked as a labor and employment attorney.

Bianca graduated cum laude and with honors from University of Memphis School of Law. Since law school Bianca also graduated summa cum laude with her M.B.A and summa cum laude from the University of Tennessee with a Masters in Information Science.

Bianca maintains an active law license in Tennessee and is a member of the American Bar Association and the Knoxville Bar Association. She has presented CLEs on a number of topics from legal research to discovery.

BAILY BOWERS

Programming Committee Member

SARAH KEITH

Community Outreach Committee Member

Sarah Keith is an Assistant District Attorney General for the 7^th Judicial District, Anderson County.  She graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Political Science from Tennessee Tech University in 2003 and her J.D.  with a concentration in Advocacy and Dispute Resolution from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2006.  She became a member of the Tennessee Bar in 2006, the United States District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee in 2022, and the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States in 2011.  Prior to joining the 7^th District, she worked in the 6^th Judicial District in Knox County and the 10^th Judicial District, handling cases in Bradley and Polk Counties. She was named the 2012 MADD Prosecutor of the Year.  She was named a “Top Attorney” in criminal prosecution by Cityview Magazine in 2012, 2017, 2018, and 2020. She has worked in general prosecution and at other times specialized in Child Abuse, Career/Gang, and DUI. She has additionally worked in private practice handling both criminal defense and civil matters.

Sarah has participated as a faculty member for the TNDAGC New Prosecutors Training and Trial Advocacy School programs, the “Cops in Court” training program, and at the American Prosecutors Research Institute training seminar, “Protecting Lives, Saving Futures.”  She has also provided training for the Knoxville Police Department Law Enforcement Academy, Knox County Sheriff’s Department Regional Law Enforcement Academy, Cleveland State Law Enforcement Training Academy, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, McGhee-Tyson Airport Security, the Governor’s Highway Safety Office, the Tennessee Gang Investigators Association, and the TDOC Security Threat Group/Investigation and Intelligence Annual Training.  Sarah has served as an adjunct instructor of Legal Ethics at South College in Knoxville. She serves on the Tennessee Advisory Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure.  She has been a member of the Tennessee Gang Investigators Association, South College Criminal Justice Advisory Board, the National District Attorneys Association, the Hamilton-Burnett Chapter of the American Inns of Court, the Tennessee Bar Association, the Child Protective Investigative Team, the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, the East Tennessee Council on Children and Youth, the Knox County Schools Criminal Justice Program Advisory Council, Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Anderson County Bar Association,  and the Knoxville Bar Association.  She serves on the Judicial Committee and is the Chair of the Criminal Justice Section of the KBA.

She and her husband Joey live with their two floofy feline roommates, Clyde and Scotch.  She enjoys travelling, kayaking, hiking, going to brunch after kayaking or hiking, and watching the Tennessee Volunteers sports teams and the Atlanta Braves.

PAST PRESIDENTS OF ETLAW

ETLAW is fortunate to have benefited from the leadership of numerous accomplished attorneys, who are listed below.  Prior to 2009, terms on the ETLAW Board of Directors followed the fiscal year.  Now, the Board of Director terms are on the calendar year, with elections held at the Annual Meeting in December.

1995-96: Sally Lighter

1994-95: Dania Leatherman

1993-94: Sharon Frankenberg

1992-93

1991-92: Wanda Sobieski

1989-90: Wanda Sobieski

1988-89: Kitty Grubb

1987-88: Margaret Klein

1986-87

1985-86: Margaret Klein

1984-85: Patty Wheeler

1983-84: Patty Wheeler