Fortson, Bentley & Griffin, P.A. has added Elinore (Ellie) Carroll, a new attorney, to its law practice. Carroll, who was previously a summer clerk for the firm, has returned as an attorney specializing in estate planning, estate administration and elder law.
 
“We are pleased to welcome Ellie back to Fortson, Bentley & Griffin,” said shareholder David K. Linder. “Ellie shares our firm’s commitment to client satisfaction and has proven herself as an asset to our team. The opportunity to bring her dedication, strong work ethic and expertise back to our firm as an attorney was one we simply couldn’t pass up.”
 
Carroll graduated magna cum laude from The University of Georgia School of Law in 2016 and is currently a member of the State Bar of Georgia and a registered mediator with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution. Upon graduation, she served for 10 months as a legal fellow in the University of Georgia Office of Legal Affairs.  
 
“As an Oconee County native, I’m grateful for the opportunity to live and work in the area where I grew up,” said Carroll. “Giving back is important to me, and I’m honored Fortson, Bentley & Griffin has given me the chance to serve the community that has been so supportive of me throughout the years.”
 
While attending law school, she served as the Senior Articles Editor of the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law, where her student note was selected for publication. She also held the role of local outreach coordinator for the Student Bar Association and served as a mentor for the Athens Peer Court.
 
Her work experience includes internships with the Federal Trade Commission’s Southeast Region and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Atlanta Regional Solicitor's Office. She also served  as a summer clerk to Judge Lawton Stephens of the Western Judicial Circuit Superior Court and participated in the law school’s Business Law Clinic where she advised startup business owners.
 
Her honors and awards include receiving the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction Excellence for the Future Award in Legal Research and Writing, being named a Spurgeon Fellow and receiving a Georgia Bar Association Environmental Law Section award.
 
Before law school, Carroll completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Georgia earning a bachelor of science in psychology with a minor in philosophy and a certificate in environmental ethics. She is a 2009 graduate of Oconee County High School and enjoys Georgia football and spending time outdoors.