​PRACTICE

Representing plaintiffs in Tennessee and Kentucky courts.


Previous Practice Focuses:

• Bankruptcy
  
  
• Real Estate
  
  
• Court appointed guardian ad litem (GAL) for a child or children, or court appointed counsel representing a parent or other adult party, on cases alleging dependency, neglect, and/or abuse of a child or children. Re-appointed by the court to represent the same party through termination of parental rights (TPR) proceedings in cases where the court determines TPR to be in the child or children's best interest. Re-appointed by the court one final time, after parental rights are terminated and adoption proceedings move forward, to represent the child or children to investigate, interview the potential adoptive family, conduct a home visit, speak with the child or children to determine their wishes, and report recommendations to the court as to whether the adoption is, or is not, in the child or children's best interest.   
  
  
• Court appointed to represent an adult respondent in cases where the state, or in some cases a family member or non-relative third party, petitioned to become Respondent's guardian and/or conservator. Served as one of a three person interdisciplinary evaluation team (IET) alongside a court appointed social worker and a psychologist, conducting home visits and interviews with Respondent, Petitioner, and providers to determine the facts of the case. Served as Respondent's counsel, or guardian ad litem (GAL), during a statutorily mandated jury trial in which a jury of Respondent's peers determined whether appointing a guardian and/or conservator is in Respondent's best interest.
  
  
• Court appointed warning order attorney to locate and serve indispensable defendants plaintiff has, up to this point, been unable to locate. This allowed a civil legal matter to, then, move forward. 
  ​
  

​Licenses and ADMISSIONS TO PRACTICE LAW​

• Tennessee, 2016
  
  
• United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, 2016
  
  
• Kentucky, 2010
  ​
  
• United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, 2010
  ​
  

EDUCATION

• Postdoctoral Graduate Coursework, 2020  |  Western Kentucky University

  • ​​Advanced Organizational Behavior
    

  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
    ​
    

• Doctor of Jurisprudence, 2003 to 2006  |  Samford University
  

  • Cumberland Spirit of Service Award for substantial Birmingham YWCA Family Violence Center on-site volunteer service hours.
    

  • John Cabler Corbitt Memorial Scholarship recipient.
    

  • Women in Law. Treasurer. Secretary. Mentor. Mentee. Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure Team.​
    ​
    

• Real Estate Pre-Licensing Course, 1999  |  Southern Nevada School of Real Estate
  

  • Nevada Real Estate Division Salesperson License issued 1999. 
    ​​
    

• Postbaccalaureate Coursework, 1996 to 1997  |  University of Nevada Las Vegas
  

  • Business Law II
    

  • Commerce
    

  • Intermediate Accounting I
    

  • Interpersonal Communications
    

  • Managerial Information Systems
    

  • Principles of Managerial Finance
    
    

• Postbaccalaureate Coursework, 1994 to 1995 |  Troy University 

  • ​Business Communications and Report Writing
    

  • Business Information Systems
    

  • Business Law I
    

  • Business Statistics I

  • Principles of Accounting I
    

  • Principles of Accounting II
    

  • Principles of Management

  • Principles of Marketing
    

  • Production Management​
    ​
    

• Bachelor of Science, 1992 to 1994  |  Troy University
  

  • Honors Graduate: Magna Cum Laude
    

  • ​Major: Journalism
    

  • Minor: Sociology
    

  • Society of Professional Journalists, student chapter
    

  • Content Contributor. The Tropolitan, Troy's newspaper.

  • Interning news reporter. Production. Editing. WKMX-FM 106.7 radio, Enterprise, Alabama.
    

  • Field reporter. Production. Editing. TrojanVision, Troy's television station.
    ​

• 1991 to 1992  |  Middle Tennessee State University
  

  • Major: Journalism
    

  • Minor: Sociology
    

  • Alpha Delta Pi sorority

  • Society of Professional Journalists, student chapter
    

  • Field reporter and on-air talent. MTSU-TV
    ​
    

Professional organizations

• Sumner County Bar Association
  
  
• Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women
  
  
• Bowling Green - Warren County Bar Association
  
  • Board of Directors, 2012 to 2015
    
    • Community Relations Chair
      
      • Semi-Annual Red Cross Blood Drive
        
      • Annual durable foods drive
        
      • Annual Salvation Army Red Kettle Challenge
        ​
        
• Kentucky Bar Association​

Maria C. Stewart

Attorney

​​www.linkedin.com/in/mariacstewart​