About Carol

About Carol Chumney Law, PLLC

Carol Chumney is thankful to the many clients she has served during her 25 years of private practice as an attorney in the federal and state courts in Memphis and West Tennessee, and for the support of the people who elected her to serve 17 years of public service in elective office as a Tennessee State Representative and member of the Memphis City Council.

She brings to her clients a B. A. in Economics and History with honors from   the University of Memphis; a JurisDoctorate from the law school as Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review; and service as a judicial law clerk on the federal Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Carol is admitted to practice law in Tennessee, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court.   She is the former President of the Memphis Federal Bar Association.

Before opening her own law office, Carol earned a partnership at Glankler Brown law firm as a civil defense attorney. Over the years, Carol has represented people who have suffered personal injuries and property damage; workers who have been injured, whose civil rights have been violated, or who were wrongfully terminated; families in divorce actions, conservatorships, and guardianships; clients in consumer protection, landlord/tenant, or breach of contract actions and criminal court actions; and clients in complex litigation matters, including construction and arbitration, health care, breach of contract, and products liability litigation.

Carol was recognized by The Tennessee Trial Lawyers for her work to protect consumers, and the local women attorneys for her outstanding service to the profession. She  received a statewide award for her work to protect victims of domestic violence, and for her efforts that stopped legislation by powerful corporate interests to permit the cover-up of environmental hazards. And, she served for many years on the Tennessee House Judiciary Committee, passing and updating the statewide civil and criminal laws.   Carol worked with many others on these initiatives, and appreciates the hard work of everyone who was part of these reform efforts.

Carol has been nationally recognized for her advocacy for children. She was able to garner support and win the uphill battle of passing landmark legislation to make child care safer in Tennessee, as reported nationally in TIME magazine and The New York Times. Because her legislative initiatives were passed with bipartisan support against incredible odds, she  received the Tennessee Assoc. for Education of Young Children “Children’s Champion Award”. Carol thanks all of the citizens, elected officials, press and media who supported her child care reforms.

As an attorney, Carol has negotiated settlements, and fought insurance companies in the courts for her clients who have been personally injured. As a legislator, Carol stood up to powerful insurance companies and passed state laws to require insurance coverage for prostate cancer screenings, new breast cancer treatments, and to let moms with a newborn to have time in the hospital to recover.

She served as Chair of the Tennessee House Children & Family Affairs Committee and worked with families across the state to revise laws regarding divorce, child support, child custody, and adoption. And, Carol has represented both men and women in the courts who are going through a divorce, or other sensitive family law matter. She was appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to serve on a statewide commission to improve foster care.

Carol passed the statewide sexual harassment law that was later used to help a woman harmed by a powerful legislator. And, she has successfully represented women and men in the courts who are victims of sexual harassment, wrongful termination, race, sex, disability or age discrimination.

Thousands of working poor receive medical care at the Memphis Church Health Center, because of the “Memphis Plan” law which Carol Chumney passed in the State House. She has also advocated for better funding for mental health; and to save the Memphis Regional Medical Center. And, Carol  has drafted wills, living wills, durable health care powers of attorneys, and assisted clients who need a conservatorship or guardianship for an elderly parent or disabled child.

As a councilmember, Carol pushed for reforms for better management of the city’s public utility; and to stop public pension abuses by city politicians.  She has worked with neighborhood leaders and developers to resolve zoning disputes. She has worked with labor and management to resolve labor disputes. She has stood up to powerful interests for her clients, and has also helped resolve their legal disputes through negotiation and mediation.  Carol appreciates your business, and will work with you to fight for your rights, and to find solutions to your legal problem.

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