Maria C. Stewart

​​www.linkedin.com/in/mariacstewart​

Attorney

​PRACTICE

​​​Attorney Stewart practices in Kentucky and Tennessee, appearing for plaintiffs on foreclosure, eviction, and retail collection matters.


Past Practice Focuses:

• Consumer bankruptcy representing debtors
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• Real estate
  
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Past Court Appointment Work:

• 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. In cases where the court determined termination of parental rights (TPR) with a goal of permanency for the child/children to be in the child/children's best interest, the court re-appointed attorney Stewart to represent the same party through the TPR process. Once the court terminated parental rights, in cases where attorney Stewart previously served as GAL for the child or children, the court re-appointed attorney Stewart GAL once again leading into the adoption to conduct an investigation, interview the potential adoptive family, conduct a home visit, and speak with the child or children to determine their wishes. Attorney Stewart then made a recommendation to the court as to whether this adoption was, or was not, in the child/children's best interest.   
  
  
• 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. Attorney Stewart 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. Attorney Stewart 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 was in Respondent's best interest.
  
  
• Appointed warning order attorney to locate and serve indispensable defendants plaintiff had, up to that point, been unable to locate. This allowed the civil legal matter to, then, move forward. 
  
  

​Licenses and ADMISSIONS TO PRACTICE LAW​

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

• Postdoctoral Graduate Coursework, 2020  |  Western Kentucky University

  • ​​Advanced Organizational Behavior
    

  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
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• Doctor of Jurisprudence, 2003 to 2006  |  Samford University
  

  • ​Recognized with Spirit of Service Award for substantial YWCA Central Alabama on-site service hours.
    

  • John Cabler Corbitt Memorial Scholarship recipient.
    

  • Women in Law. Treasurer. Secretary. Mentor. Mentee. Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure Team.​
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• Real Estate Pre-Licensing Course, 1999  |  Southern Nevada School of Real Estate
  

  • Nevada Real Estate Division Salesperson License issued 1999. 
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• 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​
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• Bachelor of Science, 1992 to 1994  |  Troy University
  

  • Honors Graduate: Magna Cum Laude
    

  • ​Major: Broadcast Journalism
    

  • Minor: Sociology
    

  • Field reporter and student production and editing staff. TrojanVision, Troy's television station.
    

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

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

  • Society of Professional Journalists, student chapter
    
    

• 1991 to 1992  |  Middle Tennessee State University
  

  • Major: Broadcast Journalism
    

  • Minor: Sociology
    

  • Field reporter and weather desk talent. MTSU-TV.
    

  • Society of Professional Journalists, student chapter
    

  • Alpha Delta Pi sorority
    
    

Professional organizations

• 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
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• Kentucky Bar Association