Each year the Memphis Bar Association’s Access to Justice Committee recognizes those in the Memphis legal community who show a commitment to pro bono service and the pursuit of access to justice for all. The committee is accepting nominations through Oct. 6 for the Access to Justice 2023 Pro Bono Awards. Award recipients will be announced at the MBA’s 2023 Pro Bono Awards Ceremony on Nov. 8 at a reception hosted by Butler Snow. Submit a nomination via this form. 

The Tennessee Supreme Court and the Access to Justice Commission are hosting the first in-person pro bono recognition event since 2019. All who received recognition as Attorneys for Justice and Law Students for Justice for 2020 through 2023 are invited to this celebration. The event will take place on Oct. 10 at 5:30 p.m. CDT at the Belmont College of Law. Members of the Tennessee Supreme Court will be on hand to honor pro bono recognition recipients. Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht will serve as the keynote speaker for this celebration. Light refreshments will immediately follow the presentations. RSVPs are requested. 

Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS) will hold three legal clinics in October. The “Attorney of the Day Clinic” will take place Oct. 5 and 19 from 1-3 p.m. CST at the Shelby County Courthouse, 140 Adams Ave., Room 134, Memphis 38103. The monthly clinic at the Benjamin Hooks Library will take place Oct. 14 beginning at 10 a.m. The library is located at 3030 Poplar Ave., Memphis 38111. For both clinics, clients will be served on a first come, first served basis. For questions or to volunteer contact Heather Staggs or Walter Casey.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee will host a free virtual clinic on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. EDT to assist adults seeking to change their names. Clients are pre-registered and will be paired with volunteer attorneys and law students to draft petitions and get advice on how to prepare for a name change hearing. LAET is partnering with the TBA Young Lawyers Division, Belmont School of Law and Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands to hold this event. Attorneys interested in volunteering should email mdevoe@laet.org.

West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS) will hold a number of activities this month as part of Celebrate Pro Bono Month and is looking for volunteers to help. On Oct. 5, the group will offer a free CLE to train lawyers how to assist rural clients with conservatorships. A virtual expungement clinic will be held the weeks of Oct. 23 and Oct. 30 to assist clients in Crockett and Obion counties. Two free virtual trainings will be held to help volunteers prepare for this work. Then on Oct. 25, the group will host “Breaking the Stereotype: What Pro Bono Looks Like in 2023,” which will feature Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Bivins and WTLS Pro Bono Coordinator Andy Cole discussing the different ways attorneys can fulfill their ethical obligations to complete pro bono work. One free hour of CLE credit will be available to attendees.

In October, Tennessee lawyers are joining colleagues across the country to increase meaningful access to justice and commitment to pro bono work. Now in its 15th year, Tennessee’s statewide Celebrate Pro Bono Month initiative brings together legal services providers with bar associations, law schools, law firms and individual volunteers to offer free services to those unable to afford a lawyer. The month of October is an opportunity to focus attention on the significant need for pro bono services as well as a time to celebrate the outstanding work of those in the legal community who volunteer their services throughout the year. Events, including in-person and virtual opportunities to volunteer, will be promoted in TBA Today and via social media. The American Bar Association's National Pro Bono Celebration will be held the week of Oct. 22, with the theme "Voices of Democracy: Ensuring Justice for All." If you have information about an upcoming pro bono event, please share it with TBA at tbatoday@tnbar.org.

In October, Tennessee lawyers are joining colleagues across the country to increase meaningful access to justice and commitment to pro bono work. Now in its 15th year, Tennessee’s statewide Celebrate Pro Bono Month initiative brings together legal services providers with bar associations, law schools, law firms and individual volunteers to offer free services to those unable to afford a lawyer. The month of October is an opportunity to focus attention on the significant need for pro bono services as well as a time to celebrate the outstanding work of those in the legal community who volunteer their services throughout the year. Events, including in-person and virtual opportunities to volunteer, will be promoted in TBA Today and via social media. The American Bar Association's National Pro Bono Celebration will be held the week of Oct. 22, with the theme "Voices of Democracy: Ensuring Justice for All." If you have information about an upcoming pro bono event, please share it with TBA at tbatoday@tnbar.org.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee will hold a number of clinics and a special pro bono recognition event in October as part of Celebrate Pro Bono Month. Clinics include a virtual name change clinic on Oct. 5, an expungement clinic on Oct. 11 and a child support clinic on Oct. 19. The annual Pro Bono Night will take place Oct. 26 at Chattanooga Whiskey Event Hall beginning at 5 p.m. EDT. Retired Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee will serve as the master of ceremonies and the guest of honor. LAET will present several awards. The Alexander Hamilton Award will go to three organizations helping with a resource fair at the Hamilton County Courthouse on Sept. 28 from 1-4 p.m. They are: Tennessee Department of Corrections Community Resource Center, the American Job Center and the city of Chattanooga’s Office of Community Health. The Bruce C. Bailey Volunteer Lawyer of the Year Award will be presented to Laura Higbee of Husch Blackwell and Brad Harvey of Miller Martin. The Pro Bono Firm of the Year Award will go to the Tennessee Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel. And the Chief Justice William M. Barker Equal Access to Justice Award will be presented to Court of Appeals Judge John McClarty. Read more about the award recipients in the Hamilton County Herald.

The Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission is kicking off the Rights Restoration Project, a new pro bono initiative to help Tennesseans with criminal records restore their rights. A virtual informational meeting for attorneys who are interested in volunteering for the project during Celebrate Pro Bono Month will be held Sept. 26 at 2 p.m. CDT and will last approximately 30 minutes. Click here to register for the informational meeting on Zoom or see the flyer for more details.

The Chattanooga office of Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) is hosting its annual Pro Bono Night this Thursday at Chattanooga Whiskey Event Hall. The evening will feature food, drinks, music, a silent auction and the group’s traditional awards ceremony. This year, LAET will be honoring the partnership and pro bono work of attorneys Emily O’Donnell and Rebecca Miller, as well as the Chattanooga Hamilton County Family Justice Center and the Chattanooga Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. Purchase tickets here.