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Tressa Valentine Johnson

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Biography

Tressa V. Johnson, a graduate of Loyola University of New Orleans College of Law, is known for winning large verdicts and fighting vigorously for her clients for over 14 years. She has dedicated her nearly decade long career to personal injury and employment law. Ms. Johnson is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which admits only those lawyers who have won million- dollar judgments for their clients. In June 2016, Ms. Johnson joined Kristy L. Bennett, Esq. to open their own practice, Johnson & Bennett, PLLC, in Memphis. The firm primarily represents employees who have been discriminated against in the workplace. Johnson & Bennett reached a $500,000.00 settlement in a disability case against the Memphis VA in the Spring of 2020. Tressa is a licensed member of the Tennessee and the Mississippi Bars. In 2016, Ms. Johnson was named a Super Lawyer's Rising Star. She has been named as a Mid-South Super Lawyer ever since then. In 2019, Ms. Johnson won Best of Bar in Small Firm through the Memphis Business Journal. She fights every single day for her clients and it is their strength in the face of great adversity that motivates her.

Education

  • Loyola University New Orleans School of Law, New Orleans, Louisiana
    • J.D. - 2007
    • Honors: Civil Law Division, Common Law Certificate
    • Honors: Hannah and Herman Levy Scholarship Fund of the Lupin Foundation Activities
    • Honors: Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition
    • Honors: Student Hurricane Network- Co-Founder, 2006-2007
    • Honors: Black Law Student Association
    • Honors: Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International
  • Xavier University of Louisiana
    • B.S. - 1998
    • Honors: Invited member of Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society
    • Major: Biology
    • Minor: Chemistry
  • Medical degree coursework, Howard University College of Medicine, 2000-2001
  • Harvard University
    • Post-Baccalaureate Studies - 1999

Bar Admission

  • Tennessee, 2007
  • Mississippi, 2014
  • U.S. District Court Western District of Tennessee, 2009
  • U.S. District Court Middle District of Tennessee, 2016
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of Mississippi, 2017
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of Mississippi, 2020

Representative Cases

  • Hudson v. BAH Shoney's Corporation, 263 F. Supp3D 661, 2017
  • Barnes v. Arrow Cab, 2014 WL 7335795 (Tenn.Ct.App. 2014), 2014
  • Barnes v. Saulsberry, 2014 WL 10417058, 2014

Honors

  • Best of Bar Small Firm - Memphis Business Journal
  • Mid-South Super Lawyers
  • Women to Watch
  • Best in Black Attorney
  • Tennessee Supreme Court Attorney for Justice

Classes & Seminars

  • CROWN ACT, Memphis Bar Association, 02/24/2021 to Present
  • COVID 19 Employment Questions- CARES ACT- Facebook Live, National Bar Association, 04/21/2020
  • Fireside Chat #Free the Hair How Black Hair is Transforming Civil Rights Law, Xavier University of LA Alumni Association, 02/28/2021
  • How to Litigate, Tennessee Association for Justice

Past Positions

  • John Michael Bailey Injury Lawyers, Partner
  • Law Offices of Gary Green, Managing Attorney

Fraternities Or Sororities

  • Phi Alpha Delta

Professional Associations

  • Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Life Member
  • Tennessee Bar Association
  • Mississippi Bar Association
  • Memphis Bar Association
  • National Bar Association

Current Employment Position

  • Founding Partner

Practice Areas

  • Employment Law
  • Discrimination
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Medical Leave Issues
  • Overtime Law Violations
  • Retaliation
Rated By Super Lawyers | Tressa V. Johnson | SuperLawyers.com
Rated By Super Lawyers | Tressa V. Johnson | Feature Story
Attorneys For Justice | Tennessee Supreme Court | Pro Bono Service Award | 2017
Million Dollar Advocates Forum
5 Stars | Three Best Rated
"Expertise.com | Best Litigation Attorneys in Memphis | 2023"