About Jenna McDonald
Jenna McDonald Nichols built her legal foundation in Memphis. She attended the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, enrolling in 2011 and earning her J.D. in 2014. The timing placed her at the start of a career rooted in dispute resolution and community-based practice.
Her first post-law school position was at Hoffman Law & Mediation Office in 2014. That role introduced her to mediation as a professional pathway. She moved to Thomas, White & Gill PLLC in 2020, continuing to work on cases that drew on negotiation and alternative dispute resolution. In 2021 she joined Black McLaren Jones Ryland & Griffee P.C., where she remains on staff.
Over the years Nichols has balanced firm work with involvement in local professional groups. She has been a member of the Memphis Bar Association since 2014. She joined the Association for Women Lawyers the same year and later served as that organization’s President Elect in 2020 and President in 2021. Her membership in the Memphis Collaborative Alliance dates from 2019 and continues to the present.
Colleagues describe her practice as one that integrates mediation skills into everyday casework. Her early employment at a mediation office and ongoing ties to collaborative-law circles inform how she approaches disputes. She appears regularly in contexts where settlement and methodical negotiation are primary tools. That emphasis shapes both her client work and her contributions to local legal groups.
Nichols’s career path shows a steady movement from a mediation-focused office toward larger firm settings. The transitions reflect a widening of practice scope rather than a sharp break in technique. At each step she has kept dispute resolution and collaborative processes close to the center of her work. Her role in professional associations also put her in positions to mentor peers and organize educational programming.
She maintains an active presence in Memphis legal life through her firm work and association roles. Her courtroom exposure and mediation experience intersect in practical case management and client counseling. She currently practices at Black McLaren Jones Ryland & Griffee P.C., where she handles mediation, collaborative law and family law matters.
