The next legal clinic for veterans in Knoxville will take place June 12 from 12-2 p.m. EST at the Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office in Knoxville. This is a general advice clinic sponsored by the Knoxville Bar Association, KBA Barristers, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, the University of Tennessee College of Law, the Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office and the local Veterans Affairs office. Sign up to volunteer here.

Registration is now open through May 13 for the next free advice clinic for Black-owned small businesses and nonprofits. The clinic, sponsored by the Nashville Arts & Business Council's Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts and Bradley, provides assistance with business formation and corporate governance, review of contracts and guidance in navigating local ordinances and state regulations. The clinic will take place on May 16. Attorneys should email vlpa@abcnashville.org to volunteer.

The Access to Justice (ATJ) Commission, Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET), Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands (LAS), West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS), Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS), The University of Tennessee College of Law Legal Clinic, Free Hearts and United Way are recruiting pro bono volunteer attorneys for their rights restoration project. The project's aim is to aid Tennesseans with criminal records in restoring their rights. View a flyer for more information and a link to register to help.

The 2024 Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative Gala was hosted April 20 in the Nashville offices of Bass, Berry & Sims, offering a wonderful opportunity for supporters to meet and connect with colleagues from across the state. Event attendees included representatives from sponsoring companies and firms, as well as leaders from the TBA and the Tennessee chapter of Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC). The event included presentation of the inaugural Branham Grants, in support of a pilot legal services project between West Tennessee Legal Services and Aspell Recovery Center. The Branham Grants were established in honor of long-time access to justice champion Andy Branham, who passed away in 2022. Read more and see photos from the event. 

Volunteer lawyers are needed for an upcoming expungement clinic in Memphis on May 3. The event will be held in partnership with the Memphis Bar Association Access to Justice Committee, the Young Lawyers Division of the Memphis Bar Association and Shelby County Commissioner Charlie Caswell. Sign up for a shift or view a flyer of the event.

The 2024 Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative (CCPBI) Gala will be held Saturday evening at the Nashville office of Bass, Berry & Sims, located at the Pinnacle at Symphony Place. The event will be a cocktail supper, with live music and a brief presentation, including awarding the inaugural Branham Grants. The CCPBI, a partnership between the TBA Access to Justice Committee, TBA Corporate Counsel Section and the Tennessee Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, established the grants in honor of long-time access to justice champion Andy Branham, who died in 2022. The Branham Grants support pro bono projects designed to provide civil legal resources and support for people with, affected by, or at risk for addiction in Tennessee, as well as those in recovery. Individual tickets may be purchased here. See photos from last year's event. 

In honor of Help4TN month, the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) has released a new podcast episode focused on the Tennessee Justice Bus. Tune in to hear a discussion about the mobile legal law office bringing legal help to rural communities. Participants include Justice Elizabeth "Beth" D. Walker of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Rhonda K. Wood, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Jeff Bivins and Anne-Lousie Wirthlin, director of access to justice and strategic development at the AOC.

The Community Legal Center (CLC), which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, has two events planned this weekend. On Saturday morning, the CLC and the Memphis City Council will co-host a free estate planning legal clinic. The event will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT at the Bert Ferguson Park & Community Center, 8505 Trinity Rd., Cordova 38018. View a flyer for the clinic. Then on Saturday evening, the center will hold its annual fundraising event “Celebrating Everyday People,” set for 7 p.m. at the STAX Recording Museum. Tickets are available here.

The Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice (ATJ) Commission is partnering with West Tennessee Legal Services and the Governor’s Faith Based and Community Initiative to host a free expungement clinic on April 19 in Jackson. The clinic is for those who have charges in Madison County General Sessions or Circuit courts. Attorney volunteers will work with clients virtually and use document automation software to generate the petitions needed for the expungements. Clients will be prescreened and no prior experience is required. Sign up to volunteer here or for questions, contact Andy Cole with WTLS.

A number of legal groups will hold a free virtual name change clinic via Zoom at 4:30 p.m. EDT tomorrow and lawyers are needed to volunteer for the clinic. Those interested may sign up here. After the virtual clinic, clients will gather on the fifth floor of The Edney on April 16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT to sign and notarize completed documents. The clinic is sponsored by Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET), the Chattanooga Bar Association, the TBA Young Lawyers Division, Chattanooga Trans Liberation Collective and the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands. View a flyer for the event.