From left, Sheree Wright, Jim Barry, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Jonathan Cole, Sean Aiello, Ed Lanquist at ABA Day on the Hill

ATJ Updates

LSC Celebrates 50 Years

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is a publicly funded, 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation established by the United States Congress, and it celebrates 50 years of legal aid this year. LSC is the single largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans in the nation. Established in 1974, LSC promotes equal access to justice and provides grants for high-quality civil legal assistance to low-income Americans. LSC distributes more than 90% of its total funding to 131 independent nonprofit legal aid programs with more than 800 offices.

Representatives from some of Tennessee's LSC-funded organizations visit the U.S. Capitol during ABA Day on the Hill. From left: DarKenya Waller, Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands; Ashley Holliday, West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS); Deb House, Legal Aid of East Tennessee; Caitlin Hakim, WTLS.  (Photo: DarKenya Waller)

LSC promotes equal access to justice by awarding grants to legal services providers through a competitive grants process, conducting compliance reviews and program visits to oversee program quality and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements as well as restrictions that accompany LSC funding, and by providing training and technical assistance to programs. LSC grantees handle the basic civil legal needs of the poor, addressing matters involving safety, subsistence, and family stability. Most legal aid practices are focused on family law, including domestic violence and child support and custody, and on housing matters, including evictions and foreclosures. LSC encourages programs to leverage limited resources by partnering and collaborating with other funders of civil legal aid, including state and local governments, Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA), access to justice commissions, the private bar, philanthropic foundations and the business community. In FY2023, Congress appropriated $560 million to LSC to fund civil legal aid across the country.

TBA Leaders Meet with Congressional Delegation During ABA Day on the Hill

Tennessee Bar Association leaders met with the members of the state’s congressional delegation in Washington. D.C., in April as part of the American Bar Association's (ABA) annual Day on the Hill. TBA President Jim Barry, President-elect Ed Lanquist, YLD President-elect Sean Aiello, ABA Resource Committee Chair Jonathan Cole and Executive Director Sheree Wright participated in the visits and other activities planned as part of the Day on the Hill event. Members of the group met with representatives from all nine congressional offices and both senators. The focus of this year’s ABA Day on the Hill was promoting support and funding for the Legal Services Corporation, as well as increased funding for federal public defenders, support for attorney-client confidentiality over prison email systems, reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and reforms to student lending.

Supreme Court Appoints New Chair, Members to Access to Justice Commission

The Tennessee Supreme Court appointed University of Tennessee College of Law Associate Professor and Clinical Director Joy Radice to serve as the next chair of the Access to Justice Commission. Her two-year term began on April 1. The court also appointed two new members to the commission. They are Junaid Odubeko, a partner in Bradley’s Nashville office, and Sevier County General Sessions Court Judge Dwight E. Stokes. The court also reappointed McKenna Cox for a second three-year term, which will end on March 31, 2027. Finally, the court thanked two term-limited members — John Farringer and Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Alex McVeagh — for their service. The commission exists to provide collaborative leadership to create solutions and resources that address and eliminate barriers to justice for all.

‘Law in Real Life’ CLE Series

What are some of the most common legal issues clients need assistance with and what do attorneys need to know to work with them? The TBA CLE series “Law in Real Life” explores common client issues in key areas and is intended to help lawyers better advocate for clients facing some of the most common civil issues, including those arising in pro bono settings: Family Law, Debt and Credit, and Housing Law.

Initial sessions cover what to expect as a legal volunteer, including helpful practice and cultural competency skills for working with clients, building a personal toolkit for working with pro bono clients, enhancing social work and expectation management skills, and working with other advocates. The series will explore volunteer opportunities across the state, in-person and virtual, with examples of what it actually looks like when working with a pro bono project or event. Additional topics include the benefits of pro bono, resources for attorney education, and support and ethical considerations.

Members can then put this knowledge to practice by connecting with a pro bono opportunity, whether in-person or virtual. Following each program, attendees will have an opportunity to connect with a pro bono project or event to put their expertise to work! Tennessee is a leader in promoting access to justice and there are countless opportunities for service across the state. Some organizations are statewide while others are geographically focused; many address a variety of civil legal issues and others concentrate on a particular issue or client population. There are also opportunities with TBA groups, law schools, the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission, courts and other community stakeholders.  Visit cle.tba.org/catalog/course/6265 for the first installment.

Helping Pets in Crisis

TBA President Jim Barry has an initiative to provide outreach and assistance regarding services and resources across Tennessee to help victims of domestic violence (DV) who have pets. Many victims will stay with abusers out of fear of abuse to their pets or cannot leave their abusers because domestic violence shelters cannot accommodate pets. According to Pawster Nashville, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting people in crisis through temporary pet care, 71% of pet-owning women entering domestic violence shelters report that their abuser threatened, harmed or killed a family pet, and up to 25% of domestic violence survivors have reported returning to an abusive partner out of concern for their pet.

While programs and opportunities for partnerships exist in Tennessee, there are huge gaps both in understanding of this issue as well as resources for those seeking safety. This project is working to provide education and information on the risks to pets in DV situations, as well as ways to safely engage existing animal rescue programs to respond. Barry named Rachel Moses, attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands in the Cookeville office, to take the lead on this initiative to help research existing successful programs and systems to help pets belongings to DV victims and to spread the word to communities who do not have such resources. Visit www.tba.org/atj-pets for more information.

Lanny Brown Named TBA Assistant Executive Director

Lanny Brown joined the TBA on April 8 as its new assistant executive director. Brown is a 20-year veteran of the non-profit sector with more than 15 years of management experience. He most recently served as vice president of the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee and previously as curator of the Nashville Zoo. With a diverse background in all aspects of operations, Brown has extensive experience in organizational efficiency and utilizing available resources and technology to add value to the member experience. Brown also enjoys playing an active volunteer role in the community, specifically helping small fledgling non-profits navigate the early stages of founding and launch. An Arizona native, Brown and his family moved to Nashville in 2012. He can be reached at lbrown@tnbar.org.

TBA Board Declares 2 Vacancies, Accepts Applications for Appointments

Two open positions on the TBA Board of Governors will be filled by the body when it convenes on June 14 at the TBA Annual Convention in Memphis. During its spring meeting, the board declared the vacancies in accordance with Article 47 of the TBA Bylaws. The openings are for a West Tennessee Grand Division Governor and a Middle Tennessee Grand Division Governor, each of which will serve a one-year term. To be considered for either position, email TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright at barED@tnbar.org with your interest by June 1. Please include a résumé with your submission as well as any other information you would like the Board of Governors to consider.

Swearing In Ceremonies Scheduled, New Bar Exam Adopted

Swearing in ceremonies are scheduled across the state the first week of June for new attorneys who passed the bar exam in February. The court will meet on June 3 at 9 a.m. in Memphis and 1:30 p.m. CDT in Jackson; June 4 at 9 a.m. EDT in Knoxville and 2 p.m. CDT in Nashville; June 5 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. CDT virtually; and June 6 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. CDT virtually.

Additionally, the Tennessee Supreme Court has announced that starting in July 2027, law school graduates applying to become licensed attorneys in Tennessee will take the “NextGen Bar Exam” rather than the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), which has been used in Tennessee since 2019. Tennessee joins 16 other jurisdictions in announcing plans to adopt the new exam, which will focus on a broad range of foundational skills, using a set of clearly identified legal concepts and principles required for the competent practice of law.

Write to the Journal

Letters to the editor are welcomed and considered for publication on the basis of timeliness, taste, clarity and space. They should include the author’s name, address and phone number (for verification purposes). Please send your comments to editor@tnbar.org. |||