On Memphis, Tennessee's historic Cotton Row, half a block east of the Mighty Mississippi, The Monroe Firm PLLC, practices law out of an early 1900s, two-story building. With expertise in civil and criminal trial law, the practice got its start when the firm's principal, William M. Monroe, was a young boy deeply affected by a terrible legal injustice suffered by his ancestors shortly after their emigration to America four generations prior.

Two decades later, armed with a J.D. degree from Memphis State University, Monroe became the Assistant General Counsel of Guardsmark, one of the world's largest security services companies. In 1978, he joined Dowden, Card, Holt & Monroe, becoming a partner in 1981. In 1989, Monroe, Marti L. Kaufman, and Stephen B. Shankman started Monroe, Shankman & Kaufman, which continued the tradition of representing individuals in harm's path.

Along the way, Monroe realized two important things. One, he enjoyed teaching and mentoring young lawyers by providing them a base from which to launch a career. Two, he saw the importance of maintaining a small practice so that he could accomplish the first realization—a responsibility to pass along not only hard-earned, firsthand knowledge but, more importantly, perhaps, what mistakes to avoid.

In 2003, The Monroe Firm PLLC, launched its downtown Memphis presence. Monroe, rated by his peers as one of the highest ethically and professionally qualified attorneys in this area, plans to keep his practice small and focused. Monroe is also proud of his firm's inclusion into the Bar Register Of Pre-eminent Law Firms. "I know this sounds terribly idealistic, but my family's story is why I went into law. I enjoy standing in between my clients and potential harm."