Attorney Profile

ATTORNEY PROFILE By: Zachary R. Walden

Criminal Court Judge Eighth Judicial District

LORETTA G. CRAVENS – 2023 KBA PRESIDENT

Loretta G. Cravens will soon take the gavel as President of the Knoxville Bar Association. I first met Loretta when I joined Eldridge & Blakney in 2016. At that time, the newest theatrical adaptation of Wonder Woman was being advertised, and while Gal Gadot played the role, Loretta embraced the spirit of the character and is ready to be Wonder Woman for the KBA.

Loretta grew up on the Cumberland Plateau in Fentress County, Tennessee, and attended Tennessee Technological University. She lives in North Knoxville with her husband, Jody Mullins, and their loveable rescue dogs, Phoenix and Audie—named after World War II hero Audie Murphy. Outside of work, you can always catch Loretta at a Knoxville Ice Bears game, where she has served as the Boosters President.

As told by Wonder Woman, the Amazon’s sacred duty is to defend the world—and defending the accused has been Loretta’s passion. Loretta graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2004, and joined Eldridge & Blakney shortly thereafter. In 2017, she formed her own firm, Cravens Legal. In her storied career, Loretta has represented defendants admirably in some of Knoxville’s most high-profile cases in both state and federal court. She was recognized by the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 every year from 2012-2016.

In the Wonder Woman movie, Steve Trevor told Wonder Woman, “If you see something wrong happening in the world, you can either do nothing, or you can do something.” Loretta’s commitment to service shows that she is someone who does something. Loretta has served our bar as Co-Chair of the Membership Committee and the Barristers Law Week Committee. She has also been a member of the KBA’s Diversity in the Profession Committee, Access to Justice Committee, Nominating Committee, Governor’s Award Committee, and the Barristers’ Hunger and Poverty Relief Committee. Additionally, she has served as President of East Tennessee Lawyer’s Association for Women and Co-Chair of the TBA’s Leadership Law program.

I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to emphasize the importance of bar leadership. Loretta and I both began our legal careers at Eldridge & Blakney, which was founded by two former KBA Presidents—David Eldridge and Tasha Blakney—who prioritized bar service within our firm. David, who served as KBA President in 2005, says, “Loretta is a wonder to watch practice law and lead in our bar at both the state and local level. She has taken the life lessons she learned early growing up in Fentress county with her grandparents and honed them over the years to become a remarkable person and lawyer. She listens thoroughly, cares deeply, and leads effectively. She truly embodies what it means to be a servant leader. I am very pleased and proud that she will be our next KBA President.”

Tasha, who served as KBA President in 2015 and is currently serving as TBA President, says, “When you interact with Loretta, you get an almost immediate sense of who she really is. She is both authentic and genuine, and she treats each person she meets with the same measure of kindness and respect. Over the many years I have known her, I have come to deeply value her wisdom and her compassion. She will leave the KBA—and all of us---better for her leadership.”

Loretta and I were both fortunate to have David and Tasha as mentors, and I know that Loretta is a firm believer in serving as a mentor to other young lawyers. She currently teaches as an adjunct professor at LMU’s Duncan School of Law.

When Loretta takes office, she will continue to support the KBA’s long tradition of providing unmatched service and benefits to membership and support the organization’s efforts to continue to evolve to meet the demands of the ever-changing practice of law.

Congratulations, Loretta, and I know we all can’t wait to see all the ways the KBA excels under your leadership. You will be the KBA’s Wonder Woman!