NASHVILLE, TN — Joy Smith Kimbrough, a lifelong resident of District I was born and raised in historic Bordeaux and attended every zoned public school in District 1: Wade Elementary, Jordonia Elementary, Cumberland Elementary, Joelton Jr. High, and Whites Creek Comprehensive High School. Her children and grandchildren were not only born in District 1 but attended District 1 schools.
Atty. Kimbrough received her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Tennessee State University, Nashville, Master of Science Degree from Cumberland University, Lebanon, TN, and Doctor of Jurisprudence from Southern University Law Center, Baton Rouge, LA.
As a law school student, Joy was the Managing Editor of Southern University Law Review
where she wrote and published an article about housing discrimination entitled, The Federal Housing Act: No More Absolute Owner Liability When Employees Discriminate. This publication has been cited by other highly regarded scholarly journals. Atty Joy Kimbrough was also the recipient of the prestigious American Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation Scholarship (AIPLEF) which was awarded to only seven other law school students nationwide. While in law school, she clerked for the Honorable Robert Rigsby in Washington, D.C., and interned for the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office.
Currently, Atty. Joy Kimbrough is a Civil Rights Attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Tennessee and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. She has also represented clients in the State of Kentucky, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta, Georgia. As an attorney, she takes pride in representing the underdog or persons who have little status in society. Atty Kimbrough has secured million’s and multi-million dollar settlements on behalf of her clients whose civil rights were violated. Also, as an attorney, she has personally filed to expunge over 3,000 criminal records which allows those who have paid their debt to society a chance at obtaining jobs, housing, and financial aid.
At the core, Atty. Kimbrough is a ferocious advocate for social justice and has worked hand-in-hand with community advocates as they successfully gathered enough signatures to have the option of having a Community Oversight Board placed on the ballot. It is well known that Atty Kimbrough worked with union members to educate the community on the advantages of keeping “right to work” out of the State Constitution. She has and continues to advocate on behalf of those with mental health illnesses to encourage treatment over incarceration. Atty Kimbrough has served as an attorney for the Legal Redress Committee of the Nashville NAACP and she has provided countless hours of pro-bono representation to those who could not afford an attorney.
Atty. Joy Kimbrough has litigated some of the most high-profile trials in the state of Tennessee. As a result of her trial work, she has appeared on several national television shows as a legal analyst, including Snapped, Sins and Secrets, Secret Lives of Stepford Wives, and Chris Hansen’s Crime Watch Daily. Joy has also appeared on CNN, NBC, and CBS. Additionally, she has been interviewed by almost every local (Nashville, TN) news channel and newspaper.
She is a member of several academic honor societies, professional organizations, and service organizations. She was the recipient of the Nashville NAACP’s Legacy Award for exemplifying the tenets of the NAACP to ensure political, educational, social and economic equality. Atty Kimbrough was also awarded the Women of Legend and Merit award from her alma mater, Tennessee State University.
Atty. Joy Kimbrough has spent the majority of her adult life fighting for others. As an attorney she has greatly reduced her client caseload in order to take the fight and vigor she exemplified in the courtroom and in the community to the City Council on behalf of her lifelong District 1 neighbors.
