Faith Held grew up in the Held Law Firm houses, usually going there after school while her mom Margaret finished up her workday, but never wanted to work in the legal field. Instead, she graduated as a single mom from the University of Tennessee in 2018 with a B.A. in political science and a minor in journalism and electronic media. While attending UTK, she was appointed News Department Director and worked as a fundraising assistant at the nonprofit college radio station, 90.3 The Rock. Through that work and her activism on campus, she developed interests in nonprofit management, public policy development, LGBTQIA+ advocacy, access to education and IDEA rights, union rights, and free speech issues.
After graduating and working as a news anchor for various local radio stations, Faith decided she wanted to interact with people in more of a helping role, so she began working as a paralegal at Held Law Firm in 2019. She got to put her communication and investigation skills to the test while helping clients through some of the toughest times of their lives. Her proudest achievement during that time was working to establish a literacy program at the Knox County Juvenile Service Center.
Despite her best efforts, Faith finally fell in love with the legal profession and decided to go to law school in 2020, where she focused on immigration, juvenile and criminal defense, and public interest law. While in law school, she served as a Knox County Foster Care Review Board member, a student fellow for the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Administrative Office of the Courts, presented research to the AOC’s Access to Justice Commission, drafted proposed revisions to Tennessee’s expungement statute, and participated in domestic violence and landlord-tenant mediation legal clinics. She also worked as a legal intern for the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services and clerked for a juvenile court magistrate. She graduated with her J.D. in 2023 and worked for a time at the Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office before returning to Held Law Firm.
When she’s not preparing trial exhibits, drafting pleadings, issuing subpoenas, gathering medical and financial records, or communicating with clients to build their case file, Faith enjoys hiking, cooking, and spending time with her 13-year-old son Zac. She also loves hanging out with her dogs, Tina and Pockets; her cats, Critter and Kitty; and her house plants.
