You need a lawyer who fights for you in the courtroom, but also cares about your best interests during the grueling legal process. We never forget our clients are real people with real lives who need help in tough times. You will find we are friendly, helpful, and easy going – not qualities lawyers are usually known for!
Tucker Clagett
Tucker is a partner at Southern Maryland Law. He is the head of our personal injury and workers’ compensation practices. He also manages the civil litigation practice. He is a very experienced litigator, winning jury trials in courts around the state, and successfully litigating several appeals in Maryland’s Appellate Courts. Tucker has been with the firm for 30 years, and was a judicial law clerk prior to that. He is very active in various non profits serving the community. He was raised in Upper Marlboro, and now lives in La Plata.
Dave Gormley
Dave Gormley is a partner at Southern Maryland Law. He is the head of our Bankruptcy department, and our Real Estate department. He has been handling bankruptcy and foreclosure cases since the 1990s. There isn’t much related to bankruptcy or foreclosure he has not already seen. Dave has been with the firm for over 20 years, and worked with another local firm prior to that. He is admitted to practice in Maryland and the Federal Courts, including the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and the U.S. Supreme Court. He lives near Annapolis.
Nasheia Smith
Nasheia Smith is a partner at Southern Maryland Law. She is our estates and probate attorney. She is originally from D.C., and grew up in Clinton. She now lives in Prince George’s County. She has several years of experience in family law, estate planning, and probate. Before joining our firm, Nasheia served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Baltimore, and later as a family law attorney at a non-profit organization in Prince George’s County, where she assisted over 5,000 clients. In her free time, she enjoys mentoring and volunteering in her church.
Kathryn Lawryszek
Kathryn Lawryszek is our divorce and family law attorney. She also litigates the civil litigation cases. Kathryn attended law school in Baltimore, and then worked a few years for a very large financial services company. She found out she really wanted to get into the courtroom instead of the office, and we were lucky to hire her. In law school, Kathryn worked on legislative- and community-based advocacy projects and interned in her hometown’s Commonwealth Catholic Charities Refugee and Immigration Services. Originally from Roanoke, Virginia, she nows lives in Waldorf.
D’Erra Jackson
D’Erra is a probate attorney. D’Erra started her career as a paralegal, seeing the law from “behind the scenes,” before going to law school. She handled hundreds of wills and probate matters as a paralegal, and now applies that knowledge to the lawyer side of things. Before joining our firm D’Erra worked in her own solo practice, and served with several legal aid organizations where she developed the invaluable skill of counseling clients through difficult emotional issues. D’Erra was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio.
Stephanie
Stephanie is our Office Manager & Bookkeeper. She is originally from Ft. Washington and currently resides in Waldorf with her family. She graduated from University of Maryland University College in 2006 with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration and a minor in Accounting. Stephanie keeps all of us straight around here - the staff and the attorneys! We couldn't live without her. She has been a practicing accountant for many years, and has her own accounting business on the side.
Amanda
Amanda started with us fresh out of paralegal school, and boy are we glad we hired her then! She is our longest serving employee. Amanda was doing remote work before it was "cool." She had to move out of state with her family, but we decided to keep her on with a laptop and burner phone. That was 10 years ago - way before the pandemic. Now she has a full office setup in her home just like she is in our office. Amanda handles personal injury and workers' comp cases.
Tanasha
Tanasha is the legal assistant for personal injury, workers' compensation, and general civil cases. She also assists our bankruptcy department with documents. Tanasha has a very pleasant personality and loves to laugh. She also cares deeply about our clients and people who just call in with a problem. She is always enlisting one of the attorneys to help someone out. Tanasha is currently enrolled at Capella University working on her Bachelors degree in Business Management.
Dana
Dana is our primary bankruptcy paralegal. Dana worked for fresh out of school years ago, then she worked at a large downtown DC law firm. Now she has come back for more. I guess we weren't too awful! And boy are we are glad she came back. She keeps the bankruptcy department on track. Dana was born and raised in Charles County and still lives here with her family.
Adrienne
Adrienne is our front desk representative. She is the first person you will talk to when you call in, and the first smiling face you will see as you enter our office. Adrienne also helps out the bankruptcy department with document production, and is on our marketing department as well. Adrienne is very proudly from Cincinnati, so don't trash talk Ohio around her!
If you have a legal issue things you do now will affect your case later. You should always know your options and be informed before you make major decisions about your legal case.
