Moses is 1st president from Upper Cumberland, 2nd legal aid lawyer to serve

NASHVILLE, Aug. 1, 2014 – Cookeville lawyer Rachel Moses has taken over as president of the Tennessee Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division (TBA YLD) following the sitting president’s decision to move out of state and relinquish her position with the group.

Moses, an attorney with Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands, was serving as president-elect. She will serve for two years, completing this year’s term from 2014-2015 and then serving her own term as president in 2015-2016.

As just the second legal aid lawyer to serve as president of the YLD, Moses brings a passion for making free legal services available for those in need. The TBA YLD will focus bringing those services to areas of the state not typically served by existing programs, especially during Access to Justice Week. Young lawyers will be asked to plan and participate in legal clinics across the state in this “Statewide Legal Clinic Initiative” leading up to and following Law Day 2015, which is observed on May 1. Information about clinic locations and dates will be available in the spring.

A native of Oak Ridge, Moses is a 1999 graduate of Centre College and a 2002 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law. In law school, she was the founder and coordinator of the Family Justice Project and the Pet Project (which assisted victims of domestic violence by establishing a network of veterinarians and others who could keep their pets) and was coordinator of the VITA taxpayer assistance program. She was a student attorney at the UT Legal Clinic and clerked for two summers and one semester with the Legal Aid Society’s Oak Ridge office. In 2002, Moses began working as a staff attorney in the Cookeville office of the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands and continues to practice there today.

Moses was elected to the TBA YLD governing board in 2004 and served as the District 6 Representative until she was elected vice president in 2013. As a district representative, Moses implemented the YLD’s various projects in the Upper Cumberland area, including the annual Wills for Heroes pro bono project, which provides free wills to emergency first responders. She also coordinated the local high school mock trial competition in Cookeville from 2005-2014. Her work has earned her several honors from the YLD. She was awarded the division’s Public Service Day Project of the Year Award in 2011 and 2012. Also in 2012, she received the President’s Award for “tireless dedication to the improvement of the legal profession and the TBA YLD.”

In addition to being involved in the YLD, Moses has been active in the TBA. She serves on the Public Education Committee and in past years has chaired a Video Contest Subcommittee. She also is a 2010 graduate of the TBA’s Leadership Law Program for outstanding young lawyers. In her service to the statewide legal community, she also serves on the Pro Bono Advisory Committee of the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission.

In the local legal community, Moses has been active in the Putnam County Bar Association, serving in a number of roles, including that of president; and the Upper Cumberland Young Lawyers Association, which she help found and then served as its first president. She is currently serving as president of the Upper Cumberland Trial Lawyers Association.

Finally, Moses is active in local civic clubs and youth programs. She is a past president of the Cookeville Breakfast Rotary Club and served from 2009 to 2012 as an assistant governor for Rotary International District 6780. She currently serves as chair for Inbound High School Youth Exchange Students in that district. In addition, Moses is a past chair of the Cookeville Evening Lions Club and a 2011 graduate of Leadership Putnam. She has volunteered as a youth basketball coach for 20 different teams and formerly coached youth softball. She also has served on the board of directors for the Putnam County Youth Basketball League and for Girls Incorporated of Oak Ridge.

About the Young Lawyers Division
The Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (TBA YLD) is known for its active and enthusiastic support for public and legal service projects in the state. It coordinates the high school mock trial competition, presents law-related education curriculum to Tennessee students, organizes a statewide public service project each year and provides free legal services to the public through a variety of events.