Stevan L. Black
Black McLaren Jones Ryland & Griffee, P.C.
Recognized since 1999
Memphis, Tennessee
Practice Areas
Family Law
Stevan Black attended the public schools in Natchez, Mississippi (K-5) and Memphis, Tennessee (6-12), graduating from Overton High School in 1966. Black majored in chemistry at Mississippi State University and secured an American Chemical Society accredited Bachelor of Science degree in 1970. While at Mississippi State, Black was Chairman of the Judicial Council, a student Senator and a member of the President's Cabinet. He was an officer in his fraternity, Beta Tau chapter of Kappa Alpha Order.
Black attended law school at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and graduated in 1973. In law school Black was a member of the Tennessee Law Review and Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity.
Black was an associate attorney with the Memphis law firm of Hanover, Walsh, Jalenak & Blair from 1973 to 1979 and a partner from 1979 until 1993. In 1994 Black founded the firm which now is Black, McLaren, Jones, Ryland & Griffee, P.C. Black has been a member of the Memphis Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association and the American Bar Association from 1973 until present.
Black has had the highest rating (AV) by Martindale Hubbell every year since 1990 and has been selected to Best Lawyers in America (Family Law) every year since 1999. He has been named Lawyer of the Year in Family Law by Best Lawyers twice, for 2018 and for 2021. Black was the first family lawyer practitioner in Memphis to be selected as a Mid-South Super Lawyer.
Black is married to Lynda Wray Black, a graduate of Yale Law School and presently Associate Professor at the University of Memphis School of Law. They have five children and six grandchildren.
Black attended law school at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and graduated in 1973. In law school Black was a member of the Tennessee Law Review and Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity.
Black was an associate attorney with the Memphis law firm of Hanover, Walsh, Jalenak & Blair from 1973 to 1979 and a partner from 1979 until 1993. In 1994 Black founded the firm which now is Black, McLaren, Jones, Ryland & Griffee, P.C. Black has been a member of the Memphis Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association and the American Bar Association from 1973 until present.
Black has had the highest rating (AV) by Martindale Hubbell every year since 1990 and has been selected to Best Lawyers in America (Family Law) every year since 1999. He has been named Lawyer of the Year in Family Law by Best Lawyers twice, for 2018 and for 2021. Black was the first family lawyer practitioner in Memphis to be selected as a Mid-South Super Lawyer.
Black is married to Lynda Wray Black, a graduate of Yale Law School and presently Associate Professor at the University of Memphis School of Law. They have five children and six grandchildren.
Contact & Links
- Direct Phone Number: 901-762-0535
- Phone Number: 901-762-0535
- Lawyer Page: https://www.bmjrglaw.com/stevan-black#
Location
- 530 Oak Court Drive, Suite 360
Memphis, TN 38117
Languages
- English
Demographics
- Gender: Male
- Ethnicity: White
Education
- The University of Tennessee, graduated 1973
- Mississippi State University, graduated 1970
Bar Admissions
- Tennessee, Tennessee Bar Association
Affiliations
- Leo Bearman Chapter, American Inns of Court - Master
- Memphis Bar Foundation - Fellow
- Memphis Development Foundation - General Counsel, Past Chairman
Black McLaren Jones Ryland & Griffee, P.C. Headquarters: Memphis, Tennessee
7 The Best Lawyers in America® awards
Full Firm Profile Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
- Family Law, Memphis (2021)
- Family Law, Memphis (2018)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2024 for work in:
- Family Law
Special Focus:
- Alimony
- Appellate
- Arbitration and Mediation
- Child Custody
- Domestic Relations
- Equitable Division
- Grandparents' Rights
- Mediation
- Special Master
- Tax
Awards:
- Distinguished Service Award, Mississippi State Alumni Assoc. 2003
- Orpheus Award 2012 awarded by The Memphis Development Foundation
Cases
Goodman v. Goodman, 3 S.W. 3d 289 (Tenn. App. 1999)
Stevan Black represented the husband in this case involving issues of property division and alimony. This published decision of the Tennessee Court of Appeals is frequently cited in opinions related to the classification of debt as marital or non-marital and those related to alimony.Halloran v. Kostka, 778 S.W. 2d 454 (Tenn. App. 1988)
Stevan Black represented the father in this dispute regarding mother's efforts to change their child's name to that of the step-father. In a published opinion the Tennessee Court of Appeals (application for permission to appeal denied by the Tennessee Supreme Court) affirmed the trial court's grant of a permanent injunction enjoining the mother from using the step-father's surname in reference to the minor daughter. This opinion is one of very few providing guidance on this very limited issue.Burlew v. Burlew, 40 S.W. 3d 465 (Tenn. 2001)
Stevan Black represented the wife in this alimony/child custody case. It is a frequently cited opinion of the Tennessee Supreme Court on the issue of alimony.Seessel v. Seessel, 748 S.W. 2d 422 (Tenn. 1988)
Stevan Black represented the father opposing relocation of his minor son by the mother from Tennessee to Colorado. The trial court's order preventing relocation was reversed by the Tennessee Court of Appeals. The Tennessee Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals and ordered the mother to return the child to Tennessee. This was the landmark case in Tennessee for years on the issue of parental relocation and led to a major legislative change.Black v. Blount, 938 S.W. 2nd 394 (Tenn. 1996)
In this case Stevan Black was appointed special prosecutor and friend of the court to prosecute a lawyer for criminal contempt. After a conviction for criminal contempt in the trial court Blount secured a reversal in the Tennessee Court of Appeals. The Tennessee Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals and reinstated the conviction, remanding the case to the trial court for an award of attorney fees. This is one of the most frequenly cited cases in Tennessee jurisprudence in the area of contempt.Your browser is not fully compatible with our automatic printer friendly formatting.
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