Linda Warren Seely has joined Butler Snow LLP as pro bono counsel, supporting the firm’s strong commitment to the public good. Seely will lead the firm’s pro bono efforts from its Memphis office.
Seely has 27 years of experience, most of which she has dedicated to improving her community through her service as a pro bono director, including the development of pro bono mediation programs and other social justice work. She joins the firm after serving as Director of the Dispute Resolution Section of the American Bar Association (ABA). Prior to her position at the ABA, Seely served as the pro bono projects manager for West Tennessee Legal Services, manager of pro bono projects and managing attorney for senior citizens projects at Memphis Area Legal Services. Seely continues her commitment to advancing the legal industry by previously serving on the Board of Governors and House of Delegates for the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA); as a Rule 31 mediator with the Tennessee Supreme Court; and as a member of the Association for Women Attorneys, former President of both the Memphis Bar Association and the Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women.
“We are pleased to have Linda join our firm. She has worked tirelessly for social justice through a collaborative approach,” said Christopher R. Maddux, chair of Butler Snow. “Linda’s passion, commitment and proven track record will further strengthen Butler Snow’s extensive pro bono program.”
Seely has been consistently recognized for her expertise and service. She received the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services’ Cooperative Advocacy Award (1999), TBA’s Public Service Attorney of the Year Award (2003), and the Paralegal Utilization Award from the West Tennessee Chapter of the Tennessee Paralegal Association (2004). She was also awarded TBA’s President’s Award both in 2006 and 2009 and named one of 50 Women Who Make a Difference in 2006 by Memphis Woman Magazine. She received the Association of Women Attorney’s Marion Griffin-Frances Loring Award (2015), the Jackson Sun and the Business and Professional Women’s Association’s Sterling Award for being one of West Tennessee’s 20 most influential women (2015) and Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators’ Grayford Gray Award (2017).
Seely holds a Juris Doctorate from The University of Memphis. In addition to her active role within professional associations, Seely also volunteers for the United Methodist Church and the Community Justice and Mediation Center in West Tennessee.
Butler Snow’s pro bono program offers legal services in litigation and non-litigation matters for individuals and nonprofit organizations to directly benefit the communities where the firm’s attorneys live and work. The firm’s culture promotes collaboration to provide the exact experience each pro bono client needs. Butler Snow has a standing Pro Bono Committee and is a member of the Law Firm Pro Bono Project of the Pro Bono Institute (PBI). The firm and its attorneys have been recognized for their dedication to providing pro bono services, approaching every pro bono matter with the same exacting professional standards applicable for all paying client matters.
