Belmont Law’s Jessica Butler Finding Purpose in Appellate Public Defense

Advocating for the overlooked at the cross section of justice and human connection.

Alumna Jessica Butler (JD, ‘19) is embracing her calling as a public defense lawyer in the appellate division at the Tennessee Public Defenders Conference, an impactful intersection where justice meets human connection. 

Finding Purpose in Public Defense  

After Hurricane Katrina, she and her family relocated to Nashville from her hometown of New Orleans. Although she had been in the city for years, she didn’t step on Belmont’s campus until she visited the College of Law. Once here, it was clear where she would go to law school. 

“The fact that Belmont had such a great bar passage rate was a big part of why I chose to come,” she said. “I also did Preview Day and just loved the campus — from then on it was all Belmont.”    

Black Lives Matter headlined national conversation while Butler was in law school. That societal moment pushed her to look more deeply into criminal justice and consider which side of the courtroom she wanted to serve.  

Early internships at the Nashville District Attorney’s Office and the Tennessee Court of Appeals broadened her perspective, ultimately revealing her affinity for appellate defense.   

“You’re meeting people at a really low point in their life,” she said. “Everyone has a story, and not everyone gets the chance to tell it. Sitting with people, hearing how they got to this place, trying to help — I really took to that.”  

Mentors Who Made a Difference  

At Belmont, Butler remembers several faculty members who shaped her path. Two professors who came from “the other side” of the courtroom stand out. 

Former Nashville District Attorney and Belmont Professor Torry Johnson taught her wrongful convictions course. Rob McGuire, acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, was her trial advocacy small-group leader.  

“They were prosecutors, but they were two of the biggest champions for me,” she said. “They poured into me and still follow my career. That support meant so much.”  

Jessica’s Path in Appellate Law  

Butler’s development in Belmont’s Mock Trial program made her excited about pursuing trial work after graduation. 

“A lot of the skills I picked up in Mock Trial have helped me in this phase of my career,” she said. “It was one of my most formative experiences at Belmont.” 

But a mentor from her internship suggested she consider the newly formed Appellate Division of the Public Defenders Conference. She applied and became one of the division’s first attorneys. 

Six years later, she is still there and thriving. For Butler, being an appellate public defender is not just a profession; it also fulfills a deeper sense of purpose.  

“A lot of our clients come from really impoverished backgrounds, and that comes with limitations,” she said. “We have to recategorize what wins look like, because sometimes they are hard to come by. Sometimes it's just having a client relay to you that they feel seen.”  

As an appellate defense lawyer, Butler’s day-to-day workload looks very different from that of a trial attorney. Traditional defense attorneys regularly represent clients in the courtroom, whereas appellate clients — who are usually incarcerated — make a case to get their convictions appealed. And that’s where Butler steps in.  

“Three days a week, I'm reading transcripts, researching case law and writing briefs,” she said. “In the appellate division, we take it upon ourselves to meet with every client in person. That’s incredibly important to us."

Her clients often feel forgotten, and being heard can mean everything. That truth became even more profound when Butler recently had the rare opportunity to argue before the Tennessee Supreme Court. Standing in the courtroom, she wasn’t just presenting an appeal; she was giving a voice to a client who otherwise might never be heard at all.     

A Career of Impact, Rooted in Belmont