As a native of Monroe, Louisiana, Debbie Branan came to the Mid South area when her father transferred from his work at the Dallas Morning News to the Commercial Appeal. An honor graduate of the University of Mississippi, she received her Juris Doctrate from the Ole Miss Law School. During her last semester of Law School, she served as an intern for the District Attorney in Hernando, Mississippi.

As a licensed attorney in Mississippi and Tennessee she has worked as both a solo practitioner and with distinguished firms in Memphis and North Mississippi. Debbie has served as prosecutor for various cities in DeSoto County, Mississippi, as Youth Court Referee, Municipal Judge in Horn Lake and she has held the position as Memphis City Court Judge. Her practice has taken her to many parts of the country in her representation of professional athletes and in commercial real estate and franchise law. Recently her practice has had a primary emphasis on family oriented fields, including domestic relations, adoption, serving as a guardian ad litem, as a children’s advocate, as well as residential real estate and personal injury. She has had many years of criminal law experience both from the prosecution side and the defense bar. Community service has encompassed a wonderful part of Debbie’s time. In addition to her work on the Making It Happen Foundation, she has served as a National Officer of Kappa Delta Sorority, on the Board of Directors of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, President of the Hutchison Parent’s Association, Vice Chairman of the DeSoto Arts Council, President of the DeSoto Bar Association and Chairman of the Youth Talent Competition at the Mid-South Fair. She has served as a National Judge for High School and Collegiate Cheerleading Championships and as a Judge on the State and Local levels for Miss America and Miss USA Pageants Debbie was the 1st Female President of the Mid-South Fair and is currently on the Executive Committee . Much of her free time of late has been spent in New York enjoying the theatrical pursuits of her talented daughter Whitney Branan.

Debbie’s firm is The Branan Law Firm in Hernando. She serves as Divorce Referee for Division 8 of the Circuit Court of Shelby County Tennessee. She is married to the Honorable Homer Boyd Branan, III an attorney with Farris Babango and Branan in Memphis and Nashville.

They have a son, two daughters and 3 grandchildren and a diva dog named Lady Olivia.