Proven service to Probate Law in Davidson County for over 20 years
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Meet Andra
Andra is a full time probate lawyer with more than twenty-three years of experience. She and her co-authors, Jack Robinson, Sr. and Jeffrey Mobley, literally wrote the book on Tennessee probate law. Their three-volume legal treatise, Pritchard on Wills and Administration of Estates, is widely recognized by lawyers and judges as the leading secondary legal authority in the area of probate law across the state.
Andra graduated with her Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University in 1995, and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Memphis School of Law in 1998. While in law school, she served as a student law clerk to Judge Donn Southern of the Shelby County Probate Court. Upon graduation, she completed a two-year term as an attorney law clerk to Judge David R. Farmer of the Tennessee Court of Appeals.
In 2000, Andra joined the prestigious Nashville firm of Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin PLLC (GSRM Law), where she remains to this day. Her practice consists of all aspects of probate law – from planning, administration, litigation, mediation, and service as an expert witness in probate court procedure.
Andra is married to Ronnie Melton, a step-mother to daughter Mallory, and a “Grandra” to grandson Wesley. Ronnie retired from the Tennessee Army National Guard after thirty years of service and two deployments overseas. Andra and Ronnie reside in East Nashville, with their rescue dogs and cat. Andra serves as a board member of Nashville Pug Rescue, and volunteers with both Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary and Friends of Shelby Park & Bottoms.
Andra’s qualifications to serve as Davidson County’s next probate judge are unmatched. As a co-author of Pritchard on Wills and Administration of Estates, she leads the way among her peers in the study of Tennessee probate law. Through her writing in legal publications, teaching at the Nashville School of Law, speaking engagements, membership in professional organizations, and work on committees for the development and improvement of probate law in Tennessee, Andra has demonstrated that for her probate law is not just a job. It’s a passionate profession.
WHY I'M RUNNING
The reason I’m running for this office is simple: I’m a probate lawyer, with decades of proven service to this very specialized area of law and the qualifications to do the job right.
Seventh Circuit Court is the only dedicated probate court in Davidson County. Citizens from all walks of life are affected by what goes on in probate court. Most come to this court not because they’ve done anything wrong but because there is a legal process that must be followed to accomplish a result in the correct way. Some need legal authority to assist a loved one with decision-making. Others need to gain access to a deceased individual’s assets in order to pay legal obligations and make distributions to beneficiaries. Still others need something more personal, such as a legal name change to conform to their true marital status or gender.
For more than twenty years, I’ve practiced law in Seventh Circuit Court, counseling and advocating for clients. Probate law is not just a part of my practice. It is my entire practice, and my full time profession. I live and breathe it. I understand the ins and outs of all types of legal matters brought in probate court. With my broad probate experience, ranging from work on the most routine matters to the largest and most complex cases, I know I can be ready on Day 1 to do the job.
There is a need for someone with my knowledge and experience to continue and build upon the work of our retiring probate judge, and I am compelled to service. I hope to earn your support and vote, to become the next probate judge for Davidson County. If elected, I will become the first female ever to hold the position.
VISION
Seventh Circuit (Probate) Court is already an exceptional court, where lawyers and litigants alike have positive experiences with the judicial system on a daily basis. Andra seeks to maintain what makes this court great, while leading it into a new era with a bold vision. Andra not only understands the challenges of this court – the busiest of its kind in all of Tennessee – but has practical solutions to meet those challenges. The future of probate court in Davidson County is one that embraces technology, from e-filing services to expanded opportunities for videoconference hearings. It is one where efficiency must be increased to keep up with its busy caseload, to provide prompt and cost-effective service. Andra believes that true justice can be achieved when the judicial process is efficient, accessible and understandable, and will strive to make Davidson County’s probate court a place of justice for all.
