Nashville attorney Nancy S. Jones has been chosen by the Tennessee Supreme Court to serve as chief disciplinary counsel for the state Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR). She will assume her new position May 29, succeeding Lance Bracy, who will retire May 25 after 31 years.
The BPR, an arm of the Supreme Court, is comprised of nine lawyers and three non-lawyer members. Its responsibilities include investigating complaints against Tennessee attorneys and disciplining those who violate professional rules.
“Nancy Jones was selected from a pool of outstanding applicants,” Chief Justice William M. Barker said. “The court felt that with her credentials, professional experience and personality she was an excellent choice to fill the position.”
Since 2004, Jones has been with Bass, Berry & Sims. Prior to joining the law firm, she was a member of Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis.
She was an assistant U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, specializing in white-collar fraud, from 1991 to 1993. From 1987 to 1991, she was an assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, prosecuting bank fraud and government program fraud. From 1980 to 1987, she served as assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York.
Jones, who is licensed in both Tennessee and New York, is a Fellow of the Nashville and Tennessee Bar Foundations.
Currently Jones is a member of the Volunteer Review Team of the United Way of Metropolitan Nashville. She serves on the advisory board of the YWCA of Middle Tennessee and is a member of the Affiliated Faculty of Vanderbilt University School of Law. Since 2005, she has been named one of Tennessee's leading litigation lawyers by Chambers USA .
Jones received her Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors, from the University of Missouri in 1971. In 1978, she received her Juris Doctor degree from Syracuse University.
In addition to supervising the ethical conduct of Tennessee’s 18,400 licensed attorneys, the BPR provides an ethics opinion service for lawyers; a consumer assistance program; mandatory notification of attorney trust account overdrafts; and professional enhancement programs. Tennessee attorneys have contributed $28.4 million in annual court assessments to finance the board’s programs, with no contributions from other sources.
Justice Janice M. Holder, who serves as the Supreme Court’s BPR liaison, said Jones will continue Bracy’s legacy of outstanding service.
“The BPR serves attorneys and those who consume legal services in Tennessee,” Holder said. “With her background, Nancy Jones will continue the BPR’s tradition of excellence.”