Two decades of Alabama legal experience
Jennifer has practiced law in Alabama and Pennsylvania since 2003. Her career spans contested family-court litigation, fifteen years as Assistant Attorney General and Supervising Attorney for the Alabama Department of Human Resources (managing a 400-case caseload across Child and Adult Protective Services), representation before state licensing and regulatory boards, legal consulting for businesses and non-profits, educational advocacy for children with special needs, and trauma-systems consulting alongside multidisciplinary clinical teams. The breadth of that experience — family courtrooms, agency litigation, regulatory boards, and federal administrative law — informs every matter she takes on today.
Family law and estate work touch the most consequential parts of a person's life. The least clients should expect is that the attorney they hire is the attorney they get.
Capabilities
Family Law
- Contested divorce and separation
- Child custody and visitation
- Property division and spousal support
- Modifications and enforcement
Child Welfare Law
- Child Protective Services litigation
- Adult Protective Services matters
- Foster-care permanency proceedings
- Adoption and Safe Families Act matters
Probate & Estates
- Estate administration
- Will contests and estate litigation
- Letters testamentary & administration
- Wills and basic estate planning
- Small-estate procedures
Licensing & Regulatory Boards
- Representation before state licensing boards
- Administrative hearings and ALJ appeals
- Rulemaking and policy implementation
Legal Consulting
- Outside counsel for small businesses
- Non-profit legal counsel
- Governance and compliance review
- Contracts and policy drafting
Educational Advocacy
- Children with special needs
- IEP and 504 plan disputes
- School disciplinary matters
- Parent representation in district hearings
Professional Memberships & Service
- President, Board of Directors — Owens House Child Advocacy Center
- Board Member — Shelby County Children's Policy Council Foundation
- Board Member — Community of Hope Health Clinic
- Advisory Council Member — Gateway Family Services
- Federation of Associations of Regulatory Boards
- Alabama State Bar — Administrative Law Committee
- Shelby County Bar Association
Speaking & Presentations
- "Multidisciplinary Approaches to Trauma Systems Therapy and Related Systems Legal Advocacy" — Innovation Team, April 2025
- Birmingham Bar Association — Family Court Processes — October 2009
- Frequent CLE faculty on permanency for children in foster care, safety evaluations of alleged victims of abuse and neglect, parental substance abuse, and administrative-law topics.
Education
- Temple University Beasley School of Law — Juris Doctor, May 2003
- Birmingham-Southern College — Bachelor of Arts, August 1997
Bar Admissions
- State of Alabama — admitted November 2005
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania — admitted November 2003
Community & Faith
Outside the practice, Jennifer is an active parishioner at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church. Her faith community, her family, and her two decades of work on behalf of Alabama's children share a single throughline — the steady, principled commitment that shows up in how she practices, how she shows up for her clients, and how she lives.
Consultations
Jennifer offers evening and weekend appointments for clients with demanding schedules, and meets by phone or video when convenient.