Joseph G. Jarret, Knox County Law Director, would like to welcome you to the Knox County Law Director's web site.  Joe is an Army and Air Force Veteran who has been practicing public sector law for over 21 years. To learn more about Joe, please click on the "About Jarret" icon to the left of the screen. The Mission Statement of the Knox County Law Director's Office sets forth the Law Director's general duties as established by the Knox County Charter, and the professional and ethical goals of all the attorneys and support staff who proudly and diligently serve in the Law Director's office. 

The Law Director's office is charged with handling all of the civil legal affairs of Knox County, which includes advising and representing the County Commission, the Mayor, the Sherriff, the Board of Education, the County Clerk, the Register of Deeds, the Trustee, the Property Assessor, the various Clerks of Court, and all other departments of county government.  The dedicated professionals of the Knox County Law Director’s Office diligently apply themselves in order to provide the highest degree of professional legal representation to Knox County government, thereby benefiting all the citizens of Knox County.  All those who work and serve in the Knox County Law Director's Office consider it an honor and privilege to do so. 

Please be advised that the Knox County Law Director’s Office may not, by law, provide legal advice to private citizens. For citizens in need of legal advice, the Knoxville Bar Association provides a Lawyer Referral & Information Service (LRIS) program that offers either a phone or 30 minute office consultation with an attorney, free of charge. The service can be reached at: (865) 522-7501 Monday-Friday  9:00 am – 12 noon and 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm.  Further, you may wish to contact E. Tennessee Legal Aid at: 865-637-0484.

Mission Statement:

The attorney and support staff of the Knox County Law Director’s Office is proudly dedicated to providing the highest quality legal services possible to the elected and appointed officials who serve the citizens of Knox County.  We are further dedicated to defending the county in all lawsuits; issuing timely, consummately researched civil legal opinions upon request by  elected officials and department heads; preparing and/or reviewing all contracts entered into by the county; and actively serving as advisors to all County boards, commissions and committees. The Knox County Law Director’s Office proactively seeks ways to prevent the county and its employees from being exposed to legal actions through training and education and maintains an open door policy to encourage continuous communication between County departments and their legal representatives.