Meet Ashley D. Stearns
EDUCATION
Current Texas A&M University, School of Law
LLM expected graduation 2026
January 2018 University of Miami School of Law Orlando, FL
52ndAnnual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning Attendee
January 2016 University of Miami School of Law Orlando, FL
50th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning Attendee
December 2013 Nashville School of Law Nashville, TN
- (J.D.) Juris Doctorate
- Student Westlaw Representative
May 2008 Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
- B.S. in Political Science with concentration in Pre-Law; minored in English.
- Coursework included macroeconomics, business law, administrative law, public speaking, legal research and legal writing, modern political philosophy.
- Vice-President, Student Government Association
- George Oliver Benton Scholarship Recipient
May 2004 Oakland High School Murfreesboro, TN
- Graduated with Distinguished Honors
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS & AWARDS
- Class III of the Southeast Fellows Institute of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel
- Chair, Executive Council, TBA Estate Planning & Probate Section (2022-2023)
- The Executive Council consists of the state’s leading estate planning attorneys.
- The Council monitors legislation and plans legal education.
- As Chair, planned and hosted a 7-hour continuing legal education course attended by over 220 Tennessee attorneys.
- Past President, Murfreesboro Estate Planning Council (2018-2023)
- As President, coordinated quarterly continuing legal education courses for Murfreesboro Attorneys.
- Super Lawyers, 2017-2024, Peer-Selected, as Rising Star in Estate Planning and Probate
- Rutherford ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award Nominee 2024
- Member, Murfreesboro Estate Planning Council
- Member, Middle Tennessee Estate Planning Council
- Member, Rutherford-Cannon County Bar Association
- Member/ Past Board Member, Middle Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women
LECTURES/WRITINGS
- Presenter, RCCBA, Estate Planning Essentials for the General Practitioner: Navigating Crossroads and Key Considerations with Other Areas of Law in Tennessee 2025
- Presenter, Murfreesboro Estate Planning Council, What Legacy Do You Want to Leave? 2024
- Presenter, Estate Planning Forum, Marital Deduction 2024
- Presenter, New Vision Baptist Church, Estate Planning, 2023
- Presenter, Planning Tee-Off 2022: Estate Planning and Probate in Nine Holes
- Presenter, Estate Planning Tips for the General Practitioner 2022
- Presenter, Topgolf: Estate Planning Tee-Off 2022
- Presenter, Estate Planning and Probate 2021: Practicing Defensively During a Time of Crisis
- Presenter, Top Golf CLE, Tennessee Bar Association, Estate Planning Tee Off, 2019
- Presenter, NBI, The Ultimate Guide to Probate, 2019
- Presenter, RCCBA, Estate Planning Considerations for the General Practitioner, 2018
- Presenter, Estate Planning Considerations, Tennessee Bar Association, 2018
- Writer, Local Media Publication, Who needs an Estate Plan?, 2018
- Writer, Local News Publication, National Estate Planning Awareness Week, 2017
- Presenter, RCCBA, Panel, Legislative Updates, 2017
- Co-Presenter, Farm Succession Planning, 2016
CURRENT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT & VOLUNTEER WORK
- Member, New Vision Baptist Church
- Sunday School Volunteer, Preschool, New Vision Baptist Church
- Trustee, Providence Christian Academy (2016-Current)
- Secretary, Providence Christian Academy Board of Trustee (Current)
- Board Member, United Way of Rutherford and Cannon County (2020-Current)
- Volunteer/Member, Charity Circle of Murfreesboro (2020-Current)
PAST COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT & VOLUNTEER WORK
- Chair, Cocktails at Cooper Ridge, Charity Circle Fundraising Party
- Board of Directors, Special Kids
- Member, Board of Governors Special Kids Real Estate, LLC
- Volunteer, Special Kids
- First Impression Team, New Vision Baptist Church
- Delegate, St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital Commonwealth Society
- Inaugural Class, The Murfee Circle, St. Thomas Rutherford Hospital
- Member, Murfreesboro City Hall Art Committee
- Volunteer, American Heart Association
- American Heart Association Late Party Committee Chair, Silent Auction Coordinator
- American Heart Association Late Party Committee Member
- Red, White and Bayou Committee, United Way
- Past Academic Advisor, Alpha Omicron Pi, Rho Omicron Chapter
- Nashville Women’s Political Caucus
- Oakland High School DECA Advisor
