Joycelyn Stevenson

HR Advice and Counsel; Investigations; Handbooks and Policies; Discrimination and Harassment; Litigation and Trials; Immigration and Global Mobility

Joycelyn Stevenson focuses a substantial part of her practice in the area of labor and employment litigation, workplace investigations, handbook review and workplace trainings. Her specific employment experience includes serving as relationship manager for several clients, providing day-to-day counseling on personnel issues including revisions on handbooks, employment contracts, policies, noncompetition and separation agreements, leave compliance, discipline and termination of employees. She also conducts strategic risk analysis of business decisions as they relate to human resource management for companies of all sizes and works with Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute on policy and legislative initiatives for clients.

Joycelyn’s relationship management experience includes serving as a temporary secondee to a multinational corporate client where she delivered business-focused counsel, collaborated regularly with HR, provided strategic counsel on employment and immigration policies, monitored emerging employment trends, reviewed global communications and reported to senior management on litigation insights and proactive risk mitigation strategies.

Joycelyn recently worked with Littler’s Immigration Practice Group to facilitate ICE Raid Training for over 300 attorneys within the firm in order to better strategically advise clients on nationwide enforcement efforts. In prior roles she provided advice and counsel to clients on I-9 compliance and conducted similar workplace trainings.

Joycelyn also manages and serves as lead attorney in employment litigation matters, administrative charges, mediations and arbitrations involving state and federal law including the Tennessee Human Rights Act, Tennessee Public Protection Act, Title VII, FMLA, ADA, ADEA, and FLSA.

Joycelyn regularly participates as a featured speaker for local industry associations, Littler Nashville programs, local and state bar association events as well as programs for the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. She has been featured in a variety of print publications as a featured author on topics related to employment discrimination law and as a prominent community volunteer. She has extensive experience providing training to boards, executives and employees of all levels, as well as leading workplace investigations and risk assessments for clients.

Before rejoining Littler in 2022, Joycelyn served as the executive director of the Tennessee Bar Association and the Tennessee Legal Community Foundation where she was responsible for all business operations, government affairs, insurance partnerships, human resources, quality assurance and legal education programs for over 12,000 attorney members licensed in the state. In that role Joycelyn managed all contracts, financial reporting, governance documents and communications strategies including the work of 20 team members. She also managed the physical property of the state bar including its tenants and the sale of the downtown headquarters. Prior to her bar service, she served for 16 years as a Littler shareholder and as a partner at a regional law firm in Nashville representing companies in commercial and employment litigation, arbitrations, mediations, administrative hearings and immigration matters.

In 2012, Joycelyn was an adjunct professor of law at Vanderbilt University Law School. During law school, Joycelyn was the music notes editor for the Journal of Entertainment Law & Practice and was a member and associate justice for intramural competition of the Moot Court Board.