Firm History
Two middle-aged women graduated from the University of Tennessee Law School in October 1974. Since no one would hire them, Ann Mostoller and Dorothy Stulberg formed a partnership and set up their own practice as Mostoller & Stulberg. They were surprised when the local Bank of Oak Ridge was willing to lend them $2,000 as start-up money without requiring their husbands’ signatures. The women rented space in the Cappiello Building on Tulsa Avenue and began to practice law. In their case, they were truly “practicing.”
Some local people were willing to trust them with their wills and other legal matters. The new attorneys served low-income clients by offering divorces at fees based on incomes; the partners also accepted appointments to criminal cases. Although women in law was an anomaly at that time, several male attorneys in the area were willing to assist them, for which the women were extremely grateful.
After about a year, the women were appointed to serve as public defenders in Anderson County. During this one year appointment, the new attorneys became experienced with criminal jury trials. Although they did not continue to practice criminal law, the appointment provided good experience and good exposure both for the attorneys and the public.
During the first few years of practice, the women represented Vickie Cape in her challenge to the half-court basketball rules followed in Tennessee. Federal Judge Robert Taylor ruled in favor of Vickie, but the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) appealed the decision and the case was reversed in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. However, the next year TSSAA changed the rules and women have played full court basketball ever since.
As Ann and Dorothy developed their practice, they focused on areas including social security disability law, bankruptcy, wills and powers of attorney, probate, conservatorships, and other types of law.
William Allen joined the firm in 2001, becoming a partner in 2010. Bill had been a long-time attorney with Rural Legal Services. He is experienced in consumer law, as well as social security disability law and education law with an emphasis on special education cases.
Hannah Tippett joined the firm in 2009 as an associate and became a partner in 2021. Hannah was born and raised in Malawi, Africa. She attended college in Indiana and law school at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Hannah is a certified bankruptcy specialist and also specializes in Social Security Disability law. She has expanded her practice to include VA disability and conservatorships.
Heather Ellis Banks joined the firm in 2021 and became a partner in 2024. Heather is from Knoxville, and attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and law school at the University of Memphis. She is a consumer bankruptcy attorney and a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Panel Trustee. She also specializes in probate law and special education cases.
Click here to read the original newspaper article discussing the opening
of the law firm of Mostoller & Stulberg in 1974.