BETHANY A. TARPLEY (btarpley@jlpalaw.com)

Bethany Tarpley is a Mississippi native who grew up in Madison, Mississippi. She is a graduate of Saint Andrews High School. From there, she attended Florida State University, earning her bachelors, magna cum laude, and masters, summa cum laude. After graduation, Bethany moved to London, England to work for the International Bar Association (IBA) in its Human Rights Institute. She is honored to serve as an IBA Foundation Trustee.

When she returned to Mississippi, Bethany worked as a paralegal before obtaining her law degree from Mississippi College School of Law, graduating summa cum laude, second in her class. While in law school, Bethany also received numerous awards and honors, including membership in the Inns of Court and American Jurisprudence awards for the highest grade in 16 classes. She also served as a legal extern for Judge Daniel Jordan, III, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi.

Bethany joined the firm as a partner in 2020 and has a diverse practice but specializes in family law, appeals, and civil litigation. She is an experienced litigator and has represented both plaintiffs and defendants at the state and federal court levels. Currently, she focuses on defense of public officials, defense of public sector claims under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act, defense of public sector employment claims under Title VII and the Civil Rights Act, and liability claims arising from law enforcement. She is also certified as a guardian ad litem and parent representative in TPR cases in Chancery and Youth Courts.

Bethany is a member of the Mississippi, Panola County, and Bolivar County Bar Associations and is a member of the Family Law Section of the MS Bar. Bethany has also been appointed to serve as a Southern States Police Benevolent Association Panel attorney. She is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in the State of Mississippi as well as the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. She recently moved to Cleveland with her fiancé and loves it. She is also President of the Boys and Girls Club of the Mississippi Delta. She loves Seminoles football, college football in general, and her extremely large rescue dog.