Lawyers served residents across the state at 80 Celebrate Pro Bono events

NASHVILLE, Nov. 21, 2013 —Tennessee lawyers helped 1,800 state residents by providing free legal information and advice throughout the month of October as part of the Tennessee Bar Association's Celebrate Pro Bono initiative.

In announcing the results of the initiative, TBA President Cindy Wyrick said, “During these economically challenging times so many of our fellow Tennesseans have unmet legal needs. Lawyers in our state have long demonstrated their “Volunteer Sprit” by donating their time to meet these needs. This October, however, our Tennessee attorneys went far beyond the call of duty, serving almost two thousand residents across the state during Celebrate Pro Bono Month. I am so grateful to all who participated in this effort, and because of their service, I am more proud than ever to be a Tennessee lawyer."

Now in its fifth year, Celebrate Pro Bono brings together bar associations, law schools, law firms, legal services providers and individual lawyers to offer free services to those unable to afford a lawyer. This year, more than 330 volunteers -- including lawyers, law students, paralegals, notaries and language interpreters -- held more than 80 events and activities across the state. These events included legal advice clinics, fundraisers for pro bono programs and community education presentations on topics such as wills, powers of attorney, bankruptcy, foreclosure and landlord/tenant law.

There also were close to a dozen events that provided training for lawyers interested in handling a pro bono case. Through these efforts, additional residents will be served for years to come.

Though the initiative wrapped up at the end of October, low-income Tennesseans have several free resources they can tap into throughout the year. These include:

• OnlineTNJustice.org, a website that matches users with lawyers who can answer their legal questions
• aLEGALz, a toll-free phone line that links users to legal information and referrals for more information
• LIFT, a website that provides general legal information on a range of civil legal topics such as divorce, domestic violence, bankruptcy, immigration and landlord/tenant issues
• Ongoing legal clinics in cities across the state