All across Tennessee events are taking place this weekend as part of the Celebrate Pro Bono month. On Saturday, the Memphis Law Student Bar Association and Memphis Bar Association are joining together to host the Race Judicata (The Run for Justice!) in downtown Memphis. This event, which also features an afterparty with food, drink and live music, benefits the Memphis Bar Association’s Access to Justice program. To the east, Knoxville lawyers will be providing free legal advice at the Knox County Super Saturday Bar Advice Clinic, hosted by Legal Aid of East Tennessee. That event runs from 9 a.m. to noon. Find out more about other Celebrate Pro Bono events taking place across Tennessee.

It's the 10th anniversary of Celebrate Pro Bono Month! The TBA’s statewide Celebrate Pro Bono initiative brings together legal services providers with local bar associations, law schools, law firms and individual lawyers to offer free services to those unable to afford a lawyer. Read about what it is, its impact and how you can get involved.

2017 was a year of firsts for the Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Initiative and the Access to Justice Commission.

Nearly half of Tennessee attorneys reported doing some pro bono work in 2015, totalling 591,064 hours of pro bono service or an average of 72.7 hours for each attorney. That data comes from the just released 2016 Pro Bono Report, which is compiled by the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission. The report shows that the number of attorneys who reported pro bono and the number of hours of pro bono work performed both increased from the prior year. The report also describes the significant work being done by bar associations, law schools, legal aid organizations and faith-based communities across Tennessee to increase opportunities for pro bono service. 

October is Celebrate Pro Bono Month, and all month long the TBA will be highlighting pro bono opportunities and events for Tennessee attorneys. On Saturday, Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET), in partnership with the Knoxville Bar Association, will host an Expungement Legal Advice Clinic for pre-screened individuals. The clinic will be held from 9 a.m. to noon. Clients wishing to become pre-screened should call LAET’s Knoxville office at (865) 637-0484, or visit www.laet.org and click on “Begin Client Intake.” For more Celebrate Pro Bono events, visit the TBA website.

October is Celebrate Pro Bono Month, and all month long the TBA will be highlighting pro bono opportunities and events for Tennessee attorneys. In partnership with the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) will host a legal clinic this weekend. The clinic is held the third Saturday of every month from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at MNPS’s English Learners Office, 615 Fessey Park Road, Nashville, off Bransford Avenue next to MNPS admin building. For more information, contact the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands at (615) 244-6610. For more Celebrate Pro Bono events, visit the TBA website.