About Kelly D.
Kelly D. Tanner earned a Bachelor of Science in Business from Tusculum College in 2005 and a Juris Doctor from Lincoln Memorial University’s John J. Duncan, Jr. School of Law in 2014. Her academic path combined a business undergraduate degree and a later law degree, which shaped how she approaches legal questions that touch on both commerce and regulation. She moved from classroom to courtroom prepared to practice in Tennessee.
Early in her career she became active in the local bar community. She joined the Knoxville Bar Association in 2014 and became a member of the Hamilton Burnett Inns of Court in 2016. Those memberships placed her in regular contact with peers and judges in the region. They also offered chances to observe courtroom practice and ethics in a peer setting.
Tanner has served in both judicial and advocacy roles. In 2017 she was appointed municipal judge for the City of Townsend, Tennessee. That year on the bench gave her direct experience handling municipal dockets and overseeing hearings that often involve local ordinances and community disputes. She later transitioned back to private practice, bringing an understanding of court procedure and case management to her clients.
She is admitted to practice in Tennessee and in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Those admissions allow her to represent clients in both state and federal matters that arise in the region. In private practice she has handled filings, hearings and motions across a range of matters brought before state trial courts and in the federal district.
Tanner runs her own practice under the name Kelly Tanner Law. Running a small firm means she handles many aspects of client work herself, from initial intake through courtroom appearances. It also means she is involved in the practical details of case preparation and client communication on a day-to-day basis.
Her background as a municipal judge informs how she approaches disputes and courtroom strategy. She draws on courtroom routines she saw as a judge when preparing cases for trial and hearings. She remains engaged in the local legal community through bar and Inns of Court membership, attending meetings and continuing legal education events.
She practices law at Kelly Tanner Law, representing clients in Tennessee and in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.
