Background and Expertise
Originally from Ohio, Jess moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue her interest in the entertainment industry at Belmont University, where she received a Bachelor of Business Administration and majored in Music Business. Jess worked hard during her undergraduate years and was honored with a scholarship grant from the Recording Academy through the Grammy U program. Jess was also an active member of Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity where she served on the Service and Philanthropy committee, planning events for organizations such as Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and the Ronald McDonald House.
After graduation, Jess continued to pursue her interest in music. She enrolled at the Belmont University College of Law where she planned to earn a degree that would allow her to practice entertainment law. In the fall semester of her second year, Jess was awarded Best Performance in Entertainment Law. She also interned with the Nashville Predators, studying entertainment and corporate business decisions. Additionally, Jess was a founding member of the Belmont Criminal Law Journal where she served as the Executive Editor of Technology and Development.
As intrigued as she was by the entertainment industry, Jess would soon realize that there was another area of law about which she would become even more passionate. While at Belmont Law, Jess participated in the American Inn of Court and the Family Law Society where she began to learn about the practice of family law. This reminded Jess of her involvement with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) during her undergraduate years. She considered the impact that she had seen the program have on youth in the Juvenile Court System. Jess was drawn to the idea that she could use her law degree to advocate for these same children and their families.
Jess explored her interest in family law through an internship with Sarah Reist at the family law firm of Reist & Maples, PLC. During this internship, Jess gained extensive hands-on experience. She spent hours drafting briefs, attending meetings, brainstorming solutions to unique family law situations, and working one-on-one with clients. By the end of her internship, Jess realized that family law was the perfect opportunity for her to apply her strong work ethic, her creative problem-solving skills, and her love of community.
Jess kept in touch with Sarah Reist (now Digby) as Sarah transitioned her firm to Digby Family Law, PLC. Jess graduated from Belmont College of Law in 2017 with her Juris Doctorate and a Certificate in Music and Entertainment Law. At the end of her third year of law school, Jess came to work at Digby Family Law. Due to the recent transition, Digby Family Law was not looking to hire a new associate. However, Jess was now certain that she wanted to practice family law, and she was determined to learn as much as she could while she studied for the bar exam. Digby Family Law, PLC quickly came to rely on Jess’s impressive research and drafting abilities and her unique insight. It did not take long for the firm to realize that it would be an incredible loss for Jess to seek alternate employment as planned. As soon as Jess passed the bar exam, Digby Family Law, PLC was thrilled to formally add her as a permanent member of the team.
The creativity that first drew Jess to the entertainment industry is now one of her greatest strengths in the practice of family law. Jess knows that not all families are the same, so she develops individualized approaches based on each client’s unique needs. When faced with cookie-cutter statutes, Jess uses her background in business to find creative solutions for her clients.