TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Kate Prince on Feb 17, 2022

Tennessee legal groups were honored last month with the 2022 Louis M. Brown Award for Legal Access for their work in producing Virtual Debt Relief Clinics. The award, given by the ABA Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services, was presented virtually at the ABA Mid-Year Meeting. The review committee said the clinic was selected for its focus on increasing legal services to those of modest means and for its innovative use of technology. Since launching the initiative in 2020, the groups have held four clinics in the Eastern Division of the state. Participants include the TBA Young Lawyers Division, Knoxville Bar Association, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services and the Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Suzanne Bauknight attended each clinic to provide an overview of Chapter 7 bankruptcy procedure. Volunteer attorneys were then paired with clients to provide personalized advice in private Zoom breakout rooms. With the success of the initial clinics, the groups plan to expand the service statewide this spring.