Lexington, Kentucky
phone (859) 254-9351
fax (859) 233-9769
Contact Jay

Jay was inspired to become a lawyer by his grandfather, John G. Prather, Sr., of Somerset. “Pappy,” as he was affectionately known by his grandchildren, began studying law near the end of the Great Depression and, after his studies were interrupted by World War II, spent nearly 60 years working from his town-square office to ensure that his clients – who were also his neighbors and friends – had whatever legal representation they needed. The practice of law had changed markedly by the time Jay began his career 59 years (almost to the week) after his grandfather opened his office. But while computerized law libraries and increased specialization have altered the day-to-day practice of law, the core principles Jay learned from his grandfather – dedication to ones’ clients, the honest, ethical practice of law, and service to the community – are as important today as they were then.

Jay is committed to the representation of clients who have been seriously injured, have been the victim of a workplace wrong, or whose rights have been adversely affected. He has been selected by his peers as a governor of the Kentucky Justice Association, and also serves the profession through leadership with the Young Lawyer's Division of the Kentucky Bar Association.

Jay earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University with a double major in economics and political science in 2003. He is a 2006 graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law. At UK, he was named Outstanding Third-Year Staff Member of the Kentucky Law Journal and was a member of the Moot Court Board. He was also a member of the Environmental Law Society, Student Public Interest Law Foundation, and American Constitution Society.

Jay is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Kentucky. He has also been admitted to practice pro hac vice in Ohio, Tennessee, and Alabama. He is a member of the American, Kentucky, and Fayette County Bar Associations, the Federal Bar Association, the Kentucky Justice Association, the American Association for Justice, and the American Constitution Society. Jay is a Life Fellow of the Kentucky Bar Foundation.

Jay lives in Lexington, where he attends Crestwood Christian Church and is a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and the Vanderbilt Alumni Association. He is a former editor-in-chief of Vanderbilt University's Orbis, a former chairman of Habitat for Humanity’s Vanderbilt University Campus Chapter, and an Eagle Scout. He has been with the firm since he began as a law clerk in 2004.

Areas of Practice:

• Auto/Truck Accidents
• Birth Trauma
• Business Tort
• Commercial Litigation
• Dangerous Drugs/Medical Devices
• Employment Discrimination
• Federal Tort Claims
• Insurance Bad Faith
• Libel and Slander
• Medical Malpractice
• Mining Accidents
• Nursing Home Litigation
• Personal Injury
• Premises Liability
• Product Liability
• Whistleblower
• Wrongful Death

Bar Admissions:

• Kentucky
• United States District Court
  • Eastern District of Kentucky
  • Western District of Kentucky
• United States Court of Appeals
  • Fifth Circuit
  • Sixth Circuit
  • Eleventh Circuit

Education:

• University of Kentucky College of Law, Lexington, Kentucky, 2006
  • Juris Doctor
  • Kentucky Law Journal, 2004 - 2006
  • Moot Court Board, 2004 - 2006
• Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, 2003
  • Bachelor of Arts
  • Major: Economics and Political Science
  • Honors: Cum Laude, High Honors in Political Science

Published Works:

• In Defense of the Reasonable Prudent Physician, The Advocate, Vol. 40, No. 4, July/Aug. 2012, at 32.
• Mediating Medical Negligence Cases: Tips to Succeed, The Advocate, Vol. 39, No. 3, May/June 2011, at 20.
• Potential Pitfalls in Post-settlement Liability Releases, The Advocate, Vol. 38, No. 4, July/August 2010, at 18.
• Tax exemption of American churches and other non-profits: One election cycle after Branch Ministries v. Rossotti., 94 Ky. L. J. 139, (2005-2006)

Professional Associations and Memberships:

• American Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association
• Kentucky Bar Association
  • Young Lawyers' Division (programming and membership committees)
• Fayette County Bar Association
• American Association for Justice
• Kentucky Justice Association
  • Board of Governors
  • Courts and Rules Committee
  • Membership Committee
  • Publications Committee
  • Young Lawyers Committee (2008-2011)
• American Constitution Society
  • Kentucky Lawyers' Chapter Steering Committee