John David Drake

 John David Drake is the son of a United States Army Officer.  He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and lived in many different states and countries.  After his father retired, his family settled in White County, Tennessee where John graduated from high school in 1980. John then attended Marion Military Institute on a full 4-Year Army ROTC scholarship.  At Marion he earned an Associate’s degree.  John then advanced to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville where he completed his bachelor’s degree in Political Science, with honors in August, 1984 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve.  John then attended law school, also at the University of Tennessee and graduated in December of 1986.  John was then commissioned as a First Lieutenant of the United States Army, Judge Advocate General’s Corps in 1987.  Lieutenant Drake then earned his "jump wings" from the United States Army Airborne School at Fort Benning, Ga.  Lieutenant Drake and was the Class leader of Airborne Class 87-1.  His first assignment was with the 101st Airborne (Air Assault Division) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky where he served from 1987 to 1989 in the Legal Assistance Office.   Lieutenant Drake was promoted to "Captain" Drake in March of 1988. During his tenure in the Legal Assistance Office at Fort Campbell, KY the office received the Army Chief of Staff's Award for Excellence as the best Legal Assistance Office in the United States Army.  Captain Drake wrote the proposal for that award.  

 In March 1989, John became the Command Judge Advocate for the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and was the legal counsel to the Green Berets.  As part of the deployment to Desert Storm, Captain Drake authored over 400 wills and last testaments for deploying Special Forces Soldiers.  Later, he was deployed to Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1990 and spent six months in Saudi Arabia and was present when Kuwait was liberated from the Iraqi Army.  As Command Judge Advocate, John prosecuted a soldier who had shot and killed a comrade. Captain Drake gave guidance to the 5th Group Commander and soldiers on the law of war. 

Upon returning to the United States, John was assigned to Fort Leavenworth maximum security prison, representing inmates at the United States Army Disciplinary Barracks as a Trial Defense Attorney.

During his 5 years of service he deployed 6 months to a combat zone, received the Army Commendation Medal (3x), National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Southwest Asia Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Stars), Kuwait Liberation Medal, defense of Saudi Arabia Campaign Ribbon, Parachutist Badge and Air Assault Badge. John Drake jumped out of a perfectly good airplane 27 times in his Army career.  

In 1992, John left the Army due to a knee injury and relocated to Murfreesboro where he joined an association with Don R. Ash and Charles Ward. 

John is a member of the Rutherford-Cannon County Bar Association as well as the Tennessee Bar Association. John is admitted to practice in all State and Federal Courts of Tennessee including Tennessee Supreme Court, United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, Sixth Circuit United States Court of Appeals at Cincinnati, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Minnesota, United States Army Court Military Review, and the Court of Military Appeals.

John enjoys practicing many areas of the law including Criminal Defense for crimes such as DUI, simple possession, felony possession, burglary, theft and assault.  Further, John practices family or domestic relations law including divorces, custody, child support, juvenile custody cases and paternity.  John has also tried a number of jury trials for automobile accidents, construction errors, medical malpractice, and worker’s compensation.

In 2011 John was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.  With the help of his doctors and surgeons he enjoyed a full recovery.  The experience non-the-less was enlightening and certainly valuable.  At the time John chose, rather than to reduce his practice, to increase the size of his office by joining in an association with Darren L. Drake and Thomas Frost; forming Drake Drake & Frost, an association of attorneys.  The increased presence has enabled John Drake to enjoy a more fulfilling and selective practice of law that he finds additionally more rewarding.

John is divorced and has one daughter.  When not practicing law, John spends a great deal of time of time supporting his daughter’s activities and likes to golf during his free time.