Jessica A. Benton

Bar: Admitted: Tennessee Bar - 2007. United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. 

Education: University of Memphis School of Law, Juris Doctorate in 2006. 

University of Memphis Fogelman College of Business and Economics, Master of Business Administration in 2006.  

Murray State University, Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Business Administration, magna cum laude in 2002.  

While in law school, Ms. Benton was the recipient of the Dean’s Award for Best Appellate Brief and the CALI Award for Academic Excellence in the subjects of Decedents’ Estates, Estate Planning, and Securities Regulation.  Ms. Benton also served as the Business Manager of the Tennessee Journal of Practice and Procedure and was a member of the Environmental Law Club.  Ms. Benton additionally participated in the U.S. Attorneys’ Office Externship Program and the Freshman and Advanced Moot Court Competitions.  During her studies at the University of Memphis, Ms. Benton was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi and Beta Gamma Sigma honor societies.

While obtaining her undergraduate degree at Murray State University, Ms. Benton held the offices of Treasurer for the Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society and Vice President of Recruitment for the Murray State University Lions Club, of which Ms. Benton was also a charter member.  Ms. Benton was additionally a member of the Murray State Crew, Murray State News, Murray State Student Ambassadors, Alpha Sigma Alpha, Omicron Delta Kappa national leadership honor society, Alpha Chi honor society, Gamma Beta Phi honor society, Alpha Lambda Delta honor society, and the Student Environmental Action Coalition.  During her time at Murray State University, Ms. Benton was accepted into the Embassy Scholars Program and interned at the Embassy for Papua New Guinea

Professional: Tennessee Bar Association and Memphis Bar Association.  Ms. Benton is a graduate of the 2009 Memphis Bar Association Trial Academy.  Ms. Benton also is a graduate of the 2011 Leadership Academy Fellows Program and the 2010 Memphis Bar Association Leadership Forum.  She practices in a variety of areas, including construction law, commercial litigation, premises liability defense, insurance coverage disputes, catastrophic personal injury defense, and employment law.  Ms. Benton has won multiple cases at the trial level, successfully defended trial court rulings in favor of her client, and obtained reversal of a trial court ruling in a major commercial general liability insurance policy interpretation case that defined the law in Tennessee.  Additionally, Ms. Benton has considerable experience with complex litigation and an extensive motion practice.

Community: Ms. Benton serves on several Memphis Bar Association committees and volunteers for the Memphis Area Legal Services Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Program.