About Professor Harkness

Donna S. Harkness retired from Memphis Law in 2023. She was a long-serving Professor of Clinical Law and Director of both the Elder Law Clinic and the Elder Health Law Advocacy Clinic. She was a National Law Foundation certified elder law attorney.

Education

B.A., University of Memphis, Philosophy, magna cum laude, 1974; J.D. Vanderbilt, 1980.

Admitted

Tennessee and Florida.

Experience

1993 – 2023, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law/University of Memphis Legal Clinic; 1990-93, Staff Attorney, Housing Opportunities Corp.; 1985-87, District Legal Counsel, Florida Dept. of Health and Rehabilitative Services; 1980-84, Staff Attorney, Legal Services of Middle Tennessee.

Teaching Interests

Elder Law Clinic, Elder Health Law Advocacy Clinic, Elder Law and Professional Responsibility

Publications

Professor Harkness is the author of one book, Elder Law Essentials (Knowles, updated 2013), which provides a basic overview of the substantive law, ethical issues, and practice concerns that confront attorneys representing elderly clients. Professor Harkness's articles have appeared in the Elder Law Journal, Marquette Elder's Advisor, and the Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy. She has also authored four elder law case files for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) involving a will contest, elder abuse, predatory lending and wrongful death in a long term care institution.