About Mary J.
Mary J. Newton completed both a Juris Doctor and a Master of Theological Studies at Emory University in 2019. She finished a law degree and an advanced humanities degree in the same year, an unusual pairing that shaped how she approaches legal problems. Her time at Emory gave her classroom training in the law and a broader framework for ethical and social questions that arise in client work.
During law school she sought out practical experience in criminal and public-interest settings. In 2017 she interned with Georgia Capital Defenders, where she encountered cases involving serious criminal charges and large, resource-intensive defenses. In 2018 she spent time at the Southern Center for Human Rights, working alongside attorneys who handle systemic civil-rights litigation and death-penalty representation. She returned to public defense in 2019 as an intern at the Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office, taking on client interviews, case preparation and courtroom observation in a county-level practice.
Those internships created a through-line in her early career. They exposed her to trial preparation, client advocacy and the procedural demands of high-stakes criminal work. They also offered perspective on jury selection, mitigation investigation and the institutional challenges public defenders face. The mix of capital-defense, human-rights, and county public-defense settings gave her experience in different office structures and litigation strategies.
After completing her degrees in 2019 she moved into private practice in Tennessee. She is associated with Newton Law, where she brings the skills developed during her internships to client representation. Her training in both law and theological studies informs how she assesses risk, counsels clients and prepares cases for hearing. She has continued to engage with issues that arose during her early work, including constitutional protections and the role of mitigation evidence in sentencing.
Outside of casework she maintains current professional memberships. Colleagues describe her as methodical in courtroom preparation and attentive in client meetings. She works in Tennessee courts and handles matters that reflect her background in public and criminal defense practice.
She currently practices at Newton Law in Tennessee, applying her courtroom experience and academic training to the representation of clients in state matters.
