TENNESSEE

Tennessee Bar Association

Pro Bono Committee

3622 West End Avenue

Nashville, TN 37205-2403

(615) 383-7421

Fax (615) 297-8058

e-mail

Contact person: Linda Warren Seeley

Pro Bono Committee Member &

Pro Bono Coordinator,

West Tennessee Legal Services

901/423-0616

 

State Bar Staff

Bar Foundation Staff

• Other: Legal Services Staff

State Support Program

• State Support Function

Access to Justice Program

Statewide Direct Delivery

Independent Program

• None of the Above

 

Each of the major cities including Nashville, Jackson, Knoxville, Memphis and a few others have their own pro bono programs. In October, 1997 the Tennessee Bar Association Task Force on Civil Legal Aid met and adopted the following positions: (1) to make a recommendation to the Board of Governors of the Tennessee Bar Association that the bar hire a Public Service/Pro Bono Director; (2) that it is appropriate for the Supreme Court, in conjunction with the Board of Professional Responsibility, to incorporate voluntary reporting of pro bono hours on lawyers' annual license forms and for the Bar Association to include voluntary reporting on its annual dues statement; (3) to support the proposal of the CLE commission to award ethics and professionalism credit hours for participation in pro bono programs; and (4) that training, forms, telephone referral and counseling as well as other innovations should be available to increase pro bono opportunities for non-litigators.

 

# of Active Lawyers 1,500

# of Lawyers Providing Pro Bono Service: Information Not Available

# Pro Bono Programs 9

Poverty Population n/a

# of Legal Services Programs 8

# of IOLTA Funded Programs 8

 

1995 Statewide IOLTA Revenue $980,070

Program Budget n/a

Funding n/a

% of Funding paid by the Bar n/a

% of Funding paid by the IOLTA n/a

Other (foundations, filing fees, legal services) 100%

 

Ethical Rules & Bar Resolutions

Policy on pro bono

state bar resolution

state supreme court ethical rule

rule similar to revised ABA MR 6.1 (includes hours and categories)

pre 1993 version of ABA MR 6.1

other rule

4 ethical consideration only

Reporting of Pro Bono Activity

mandatory (___ under consideration)

voluntary (___ under consideration)

Activities

Communication

4 newsletter

media publicity

Recruitment

4 mass mailings to new admittees

targeted mailings

4 work with individual law firms

4 bar event presentations

4 personal contacts/phone calls

phonathons

bar section or committee presentations/projects

Training

4 sponsor substantive legal training for volunteers

coordinate training programs for legal services providers

4 publish training materials

Coordination

assist development of local programs

4 coordinate activities with providers (i.e. training, recruitment)

4 statewide pro bono coordinator meeting

liaison with state bar foundation

Technical Assistance

outreach to programs

4 sponsor state pro bono conference

provide technical assistance to:

law firms

corporate counsel

governmental attorney offices

Recognition

4 statewide awards

state bar sponsored awards

state bar foundation sponsored awards

personal letters

4 magazine/newsletter articles

honor roll

certificates

CLE vouchers/publications

Case Intake & Referral

direct case referrals to volunteers

case referral to pro bono programs

statewide or regional:

centralized intake

hotline

clinics

Legislative Work

involved in legislative advocacy

participate in state planning for legal services and pro bono

Staff State Bar or Access to Justice Committee

pro bono ethics rules/resolutions/reporting

delivery of legal services/legal aid

Access to Justice

Other __________

Technology

web site (address __________)

fax referrals