Biography

Ms. DeReus is an Associate that practices civil litigation, including commercial litigation and contract disputes. She is a graduate from the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law, graduating with highest honors. Prior to joining RJS as an attorney, Ms. DeReus worked for the firm as a law clerk for two years, focusing primarily on civil litigation. While in law school, she participated in the UT Winston College of Law’s Legal Clinic program, representing individuals incarcerated as children who are now eligible for parole release under recent Tennessee Supreme Court case law. Ms. DeReus was the first law student at UT to represent one of these individuals in a hearing before the Board of Parole. Through her clinic work, she also engaged with complex and novel legal issues, including assisting a client who was granted a medical furlough release and seeking parole for another using a previously unused statute allowing for geriatric parole. Ms. DeReus is a member of both the Tennessee Bar Association and the Knoxville Bar Association.