The Institute for Law, Justice & Society at Lipscomb University will be renamed in honor of civil rights lawyer Fred D. Gray next month. As part of the renaming celebration, the institute will hold a free legal clinic Nov. 12 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Schrader Lane Church of Christ in Nashville. Volunteers are needed to provide advice on civil, criminal, domestic and probate issues. That evening, the school will host Gray for a dinner and keynote address at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville. Tickets are $200 per person. RSVP by Nov. 2 . Contact institute director Randy Spivey, 615-966-2503, for more information about any of these events. Read more about Gray and the institute in the October issue of the Tennessee Bar Journal or in this press release from the school.

Tennessee is benefiting from the services of four Equal Justice Works fellows. It is the first time in more than 10 years that the state has had any fellows, according to the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS). That group is hosting Kirsten Jacobson in its office. Elder Justice Fellow Matt Schwimmer is serving with West Tennessee Legal Services in Jackson. Elder Justice Fellow Sara Dodson is serving with the Tennessee Justice Center in Nashville. And Immigrant Defense Fellow Valeria Gomez is working with Justice AmeriCorps and VIDA in Knoxville. TALS credits the work of the state Supreme Court, which has made pro bono a strategic priority, and the support of the state’s legal aid providers in making these fellowships a reality.

Photo from left: Jacobson, Gomez, Schwimmer, Dodson

Three legal advice clinics will take place tomorrow as Celebrate Pro Bono Month enters its last week of activities. The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold its standing McHugh Clinic in Nashville at 8:30 a.m. The group also will hold a clinic from 9 a.m. to noon at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville. The TBA Young Lawyers Division will round out the day with a free Wills for Heroes clinic for first responders from 9 a.m. to noon in Lebanon. Get details on these and other remaining events on the Celebrate Pro Bono web page.

Volunteers are needed for a Veterans’ Legal Advice Clinic scheduled for Nov. 2 from noon to 2 p.m. in Knoxville. The clinic is one of several planned by a group of legal organizations in the city, including the Knoxville Bar Association, the Knoxville Barristers, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Knox County Public Defender’s Office, the University of Tennessee College of Law and the local Veterans's Affairs office. It will take place at the Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office, 1101 Liberty St.

Big Law lawyer David Lash takes on the myths that solo practioners do not have the time, resources or experience to do pro bono work, arguing they are, and historically have been, critical to the delivery of legal services to the poor. In an article for Above the Law, he debunks each of these myths and concludes that solo practioners and small firm lawyers likely engage in pro bono service in the same numbers and percentages as other attorneys.

The University of Tennessee College of Law will hold a two-hour training session on Nov. 11 from 2 to 4 p.m. EST for those interested in learning more about volunteering at a Project Salute event or assisting veterans with legal issues in any setting. A “meet and greet” will follow the program. Register online.

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold a free legal help clinic this Saturday on the Tennessee Tech campus in Cookeville. Volunteers are needed to help answer general civil legal questions from 9 a.m. to noon. The clinic will take place in the Roaden University Center, Room 101 at 1000 N. Dixie Ave. Contact Legal Aid at 931-528-7436 with questions or for more information. Access a flyer for the clinic.

Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS) will hold a Thursday afternoon Courthouse Advice & Counsel Clinic this week starting at 1:30 p.m. at the Shelby County Courthouse, 140 Adams St., Room 134. Volunteer lawyers are needed to help clients navigating the court system. For more information or to sign up call 901-523-8822 or visit www.malsi.org/volunteer.

The Knoxville Bar Association’s Corporate Counsel Section and Family Law Section are joining forces for a Pro Bono Night next Tuesday. Members of the sections will gather to answer civil legal questions posted to TN Free Legal Answers. Representatives from the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services will be available during the event to answer questions and assist with technology issues. Other volunteers are invited to join the group from 5 to 7 p.m. EST at the Adams Law Firm, 8517 Kingston Pike, Knoxville 37919. Register online to participate.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division will hold a free Wills for Heroes legal clinic tomorrow in Memphis at the Benjamin L. Hooks Library, 3030 Poplar Ave., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The clinic will provide free wills, powers of attorney and advance directives for Tennessee's firefighters, law enforcement officers and other emergency responders. Attorneys who would like to volunteer or get more information should contact Memphis lawyer Chasity Grice.