Practice Areas
Admitted to Practice
Tennessee, 2016
United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, 2016
United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, 2017
United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 2017
Bar Admissions
American Bar Association
Tennessee Bar Association
Memphis Bar Association
National Bar Association, Ben F. Jones Chapter
Lani Lester is an experienced litigator whose practice includes handling complex commercial and business litigation, premises liability, personal injury, and municipal litigation matters in both federal and state court. She has also successfully arbitrated several construction industry and commercial litigation cases.
A lifelong Memphian, Ms. Lester joined Burch, Porter & Johnson after graduating from the University Of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School Of Law in 2016. She obtained her B.S. in Political Science and Print Journalism from Middle Tennessee State University.
Education
- The University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law (J.D., 2016) cum laude
- Middle Tennessee State University (B.S., 2009) cum laude
Professional Honors and Activities
- American Bar Association’s Entertainment and Sports Law Section Memphis CLE, planning committee (2019)
- Board Member, Memphis Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division, 2018
- Honoree, Champion of Justice, Tennessee Access to Justice Commission, 2018
- Moot Court Board (2015-2016)
- CALI Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Organizations, Voting Rights, and Neighborhood Preservation Clinic (2015)
- Dean’s Award for Excellence, Best Brief in Legal Methods II
- American Constitution Society, Student Chapter President (2014-2015), Vice-President (2015-2016)
- Summer Research Assistant to Professor Andrew McClurg, Herff Chair Of Excellence In Law (2014)
- Advanced Moot Court Competition Awards for Top Ten Oral Advocate and “Favorite Competitor” (2014)
Publications and Presentations of Note
- Co-author, "The 2018 Amendments to the Neighborhood Preservation Act: A More Powerful Tool for Blight Eradication," Guest Column in The Daily Memphian (January, 2019)
- Co-author, "Yahoo’s Reliance on its Quarterly Performance Review Procedure to Terminate Employees," HRProfessionals Magazine (April 2016)
Community Involvement
- Board of Directors, the Community Legal Center (2017-present)
- Board of Directors, Memphis Challenge (2017-present)
- Board of Directors, Mid-South Peace and Justice Center (2016-2019)