Hello My Name Is

JACOB REFNER

HELLO MY NAME IS By: Jennifer Franklyn

Leitner Williams Dooley Napolitan, PLLC

This month’s “Hello, My Name Is…” q-and-a features KBA member Jacob Refner, an associate attorney at Bernstein, Stair & McAdams LLP, where he practices general civil litigation. Jacob graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2021. Prior to law school, Jacob attended Arizona State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. As he mentions in his q-and-a, Jacob is engaged to Becca Plank, who was featured in last month’s “Hello, My Name Is…” I hope you enjoy getting to know Jacob, a well-traveled new KBA member!

Where are you from?

I am from Tempe, Arizona, although I tell people I’m from Phoenix if they don’t know the area.

What brought you to Knoxville?

My fiancée, Becca Plank, is a Knoxville native and local attorney. When I met her in Cambridge, UK, in 2019, I knew I’d go anywhere in the world to be with her. I’m glad I ended up here. I love Knoxville and know that it will be a perfect place to start a family.

Have you traveled or lived internationally?

In my life, I have been fortunate enough to travel to some of the most wonderful places in the world. I’ve been to Ireland, Thailand, Mexico, Germany, Austria, England, Wales, the Netherlands, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Canada. I was lucky enough to live and study in Cambridge, England, for over six weeks during law school.

What is your favorite book?

It’s so hard to pick just one, because I love reading and have spent most of my life with my nose in a book. J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit has always been one of my favorites to revisit. It is so full of wonder and adventure, and it has such surprisingly deep themes and lessons.

If you could give a new law student one piece of advice, what would it be?

You’re not alone in this. Law school is often so competitive, and people think they’re alone in the struggle. But, if you find a way to help each other, you’ll have a network of friends and peers within the legal community once you graduate that can be more valuable than a class ranking.