C. Ryan Stinnett

C. Ryan Stinnett serves as General Counsel at the University of Tennessee while holding an adjunct faculty appointment in the College of Law. Appointed permanently in May 2020 after interim service since October 2019, he has led the Office of General Counsel since 2008—rising from Assistant to Associate General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel in July 2018. His dual role bridges high-stakes legal administration and academic instruction.

His educational credentials include:

• B.A. in Political Science from Furman University
• J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Tennessee College of Law (Executive Editor of Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law)

Prior legal practice spanned Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (Atlanta) and Leibowitz & Cohen (Knoxville). His scholarly focus centers on practical legal domains directly applied in university operations:

• Contract drafting and construction law pedagogy
• Research compliance frameworks (human/animal subjects, export controls)
• Cross-disciplinary legal interfaces: health care, athletics, IP, and financial systems

Stinnett’s advisory impact manifests through institutional legal governance rather than graduate student mentorship. His office oversees critical university functions including sponsored research contracts, privacy compliance, real estate, and conflict resolution—ensuring operational integrity across all UT System campuses.