Law and order. The concepts seem black and white. If there was no order, there would be chaos. And without the law, there is no order.What I have found, however, is that between the black and white defined by our laws, there is a lot of gray. Helping people navigate those shades of gray to create their own order from chaos is what I love about my role as an Administrative Judge for the Tennessee Department of Human Services. The Department’s mission is “to build strong families by connecting Tennesseans to employment, education, and support services.” My role is to help people understand and access those services that they are entitled to by law. Additionally, I insure they receive due process with respect to adverse actions taken by the Department.I am passionate about helping people – and I help a lot of them. To date I have adjudicated over 3,000 cases resolving problems people have related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, welfare, child support, adult protective services, and child care. Strong communication skills are a key to my success because I must provide clarity to the parties in my rulings. I preside over hearings and issue written findings of fact and conclusions of law. I also make evidentiary rulings and respond to both pre-trial and post-trial motions.Ten years in private practice as well as internships for a U.S. District Court Judge and the U.S. Attorney’s Office prepared me for my judicial role. I have lead counsel experience serving both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of civil and criminal matters.When I am not working for the people of Tennessee, I join them in cheering on our teams – Titans, Commodores, and Predators. I am also a long-time fan of USA Track and Field, having run middle distance in high school and college. I watch track meets as often as I can find them on ESPN and I passionately cheer for Team USA non-stop during the Summer Olympics. I also still run as often as I can.
