In Memory of Dorothy Stulberg
1925-2011
Founding partner of Mostoller and Stulberg, Iowa-born Dorothy Bonnell Stulberg graduated from the University of Tennessee School of Law and was admitted to the Tennessee bar in 1974.
Dorothy handled social security disability cases, especially discrimination and any other areas for people in need. She became a lawyer because “so many people are considered less than valuable. I believe in the value of human beings.”
Stephanie D. Smith presented Dorothy with a Pro Bono Award in 1999 at the annual meeting. At that time, she said:
“To quote Chief Justice E. Riley Anderson, while speaking at the 20th Anniversary celebration of Rural Legal Services of Tennessee, ‘The county had a legal aid program before RLST arrived – it was called Dorothy Stulberg, the 1999 Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Attorney of the Year.’ Ms. Stulberg was chairman of the board of RLST from 1976 to 1999. She has contributed greatly to her community of Oak Ridge — she established the area’s community action program (and later directed it), and the Neighborhood Youth Corps (and later directed it). She has traveled the gamut of legal representation — assisting many of the county’s most disadvantaged families while handling landmark litigation such as convincing Tennessee high school athletics authorities to end girls half-court basketball. Through her life and practice, she has exemplified how an attorney can use personal and professional skills to the benefit of the community."
She was married to Mel Stulberg, whom she met at the University of Minnesota, for over 50 years; they had three daughters and four grandchildren.
Dorothy passed away in 2011 after a brave battle with cancer, and her loss has had a profound impact on all those who knew her and our firm. We have kept her biography on our website in tribute to the amazing woman that was Dorothy Stulberg for her years of dedicated service to the law.
Bar Admissions
Tennessee, 1974
Education
Iowa State University, B.S.
Purdue University, Curtis Wright Cadette
University of Minnesota, M.S.
University of Tennessee College of Law, J.D.
University of Tennessee, Doctorate in Education, E.D.
Doctoral Dissertation, Doctorate in Education
People Centered Law: Bringing Life Back to Lawyer-Client Relationships through Collaborative Lawyering.
Honors & Awards
Named EvaMag's 2008 Woman of the Year
Honorary Award from the Knights of Columbus
Tennessee Bar Associations 1999 Pro Bono Attorney of the Year
Professional Associations & Memberships
Knoxville Bar Association
Tennessee Bar Association
Rule 31 Listed General Civil/Family Mediator
Prior Activities
Chairperson, Rural Legal Services for 25+ years
Director, Neighborhood Youth Corps
Director, Anderson County Community Action
Chairperson, Anderson County Community Action