Julia Spannaus

Julia Spannaus is a Maryville attorney focused on family law and family-based immigration. Julia handles child custody and visitation, adoption, divorce, matters involving children with special needs, and immigration issues connected to families. She has represented foster and adoptive families interacting with state agencies and brings prior child-welfare experience to cases involving children, parents, and government systems. Her practice combines litigation, counseling, and public-service work.

Julia earned a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 2007, an M.A. from Georgetown University in 2002, and a B.A. from the University of Tennessee in 2000. During law school, she served as Senior Symposium Editor of the Environmental Law Review and participated in family law and international justice clinical work. Her education supports legal analysis across family, child-welfare, and immigration matters involving complex facts and public institutions.

Julia previously served as a staff attorney for New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services and later worked for the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, including as Regional General Counsel for the Smoky Mountain Region. She entered solo practice in 2012. Her work includes adoption, termination of parental rights, child welfare, family-based immigration, and appellate matters, giving her substantial experience with court systems and agencies affecting children and families.

Julia Spannaus has held leadership roles within the Tennessee Bar Association Adoption Law Section and has presented on adoption, juvenile procedure, and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. She maintains a commitment to pro bono service and previously held child-welfare law certification. Her combination of agency experience, private practice, writing, speaking, and appellate work supports families facing legally complex questions involving custody, adoption, child welfare, and immigration.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, Julia Spannaus, Attorney at Law
• Member, Tennessee Bar Association (2013-Present)
• Member, New York State Bar Association
• Chair Executive Council, TBA Adoption Law Section (2024-2025)
• Founding Member, TBA Adoption Law Section Executive Council (2018-Present)
• Member, American Immigration Lawyer’s Association (2016-2020)
• Member, East Tennessee Law Association for Women (ETLAW) (2013-2017)
• Member, Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) (2012-Present)
• Member, KBA Committee on the Unmet Legal Needs of Children (2013-Present)
• Steering Committee Member, Family Recovery Court, Knox County Juvenile Court (2013)
• Pro Bono Honor Roll, Legal Aid of East Tennessee (2013)
• Board Member, Haven House (2021-2024)
• Child Welfare Law Specialist, NACC (2016-2021)

Licensed State

• Tennessee
• New York

Education

• Fordham University School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Georgetown University
  Master of Arts (MA)
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges