From Jim Cooper's office:

U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper announced today that Alfred Degrafinreid II has joined his office as counsel. Degrafinreid will be based in Nashville and will advise on policy matters and coordinate community outreach for Rep. Cooper.
 
“We are lucky to have someone of Alfred’s caliber join our staff,” said Rep. Cooper. “He knows Nashville inside and out, and is deeply committed to working for the people of Middle Tennessee.”
 
A native Tennessean holding both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Tennessee State University, Degrafinreid is a recent graduate of Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. He served in various leadership positions in the Student Bar Association and was selected as commencement speaker. While in law school, he worked as a legislative assistant for the state’s press association.  
 
Degrafinreid worked on both Mayor Karl Dean’s re-election campaign and Howard Gentry’s 2007 mayoral run. He has also served as a legislative assistant for state Sen. Andy Berke and for state House Speaker Pro Tempore Lois M. DeBerry.