Editorial
Front Page - Friday, October 22, 2010
Free law advice clinic celebrates Pro-Bono Month
Erica Tuggle
In celebrating October as “Pro-Bono Month,” the Chattanooga Bar Association’s pro-bono committee and Legal Aid of East Tennessee will host a free legal advice clinic on Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Brainerd Recreation Center. Sheri Fox, the chair for the Pro Bono Committee, says lawyers can still get involved in this event and earn CLE credit in ethics hours as well help citizens in need.
- Photo provided
Sheri Fox, chair of the Chattanooga Bar Association’s pro-bono committee and attorney at Baker Donelson, says she has checked the schedule for Southeastern conference football and knows what ballgames are playing on Oct. 30. With this little piece of planning ahead, she knows there is no excuse for law professionals and citizens to miss out on the free law advice clinic that will be held from 9 a.m. to noon that day.
The pro-bono committee and Legal Aid of East Tennessee are hosting this free clinic that Saturday at the Brainerd Recreation Center as part of the celebration of Pro-Bono Month by the American Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association and the Chattanooga Bar Association. This is the third such clinic the committee has hosted at the center, and expectations are high for this event to produce a good turnout, Fox says.
One of the purposes of the free legal advice clinic is filling the gap between those who can qualify for free legal services and the people who can afford to retain an attorney, she says. The people in the middle are left without access to justice and, as much as it might not appear to be true, she says, having a lawyer in litigation is imperative.
“The number of people representing themselves in court is increasing. It is extraordinarily difficult to represent yourself,” she says. “In criminal cases, a public defender will be appointed should you need one, but there is no such similar practice in civil cases. In Tennessee,
also a corporation cannot represent itself and must hire
an attorney. This affects small family owned businesses that have incorporated.”
Fox says the pro-bono committee is hoping to host legal clinics at least twice a year to bring the resources to meet the need. These clinics are aimed at those with civil litigation matters and will include lawyers in many different areas of practice including those who handle domestic issues like child support, child custody and divorce, which seem to be a great need, she says.
“I routinely receive phone calls as chair of the pro bono committee from those that want to get a divorce or are having custody issues and I can’t help them because I don’t practice that type of law and it is difficult to find someone who is not already at capacity in that area,” she says.
Regular consumer law issues, lemon law issues, questions about wills and deeds, veteran’s affairs, social security and landlord/tenant law will be some of the areas addressed through the clinic. Fox says it is important to stress that the people who come to the clinic do not have to qualify for Legal Aid services, and this is an advice only clinic. Although attorneys can, if they choose, take a case on the spot on a pro-bono or paying basis, she says.
While pre-registration is not required, those interested in receiving this legal advice can call Legal Aid and let someone know they are coming and what area of the law they have questions about to speed up the process. In the end, though, the clinic will operate on a first come, first serve basis. The Brainerd Recreation Center is also on the city bus line, and thus will be very accessible to all.
The Chattanooga Legal Pro-fessionals (CLSA) are providing breakfast to the attorneys that volunteer – one of many things they do for the local bar that is greatly appreciated, Fox says. Even though they can’t give legal advice themselves, several judges usually show up at the clinic to show support for the attorneys and access to justice.
Over 40 attorneys participated in the last clinic, which allowed them to earn CLE credit in ethics hours. This year, credit is also available with every 2.5 hours of volunteer work earning 0.5 ethics hours.
“This is the time of year when there is a crunch to finish up all continuing education credit, so this is great for that. It’s a way to do something good for your community and good for yourself,” Fox says.
Attorneys can still get in on this CLE credit opportunity and the good it will provide by simply showing up at the event or emailing Legal Aid or Lynda Hood at the CBA for a pre-registration form. Fox says it does help if lawyers sign up in advance so that the committee can get a feel for the number of people who will be volunteering and the areas of law in which they practice, but if an attorney walks in the day of the clinic, they will be more than welcome. Come rain or shine, the clinic will start at 9 a.m., although attorneys can arrive earlier to set up, and they can volunteer the whole time or just a few hours.
Fox says she is hoping for a large turnout because this is a great opportunity for the community in the dollar amount of time given by participating attorneys.
“Last year, we calculated that the average hourly rate for an attorney in this area is about $200 an hour. So if one attorney donates three hours, that is $600. It is a lot of money that attorneys are putting into the community, not to mention this is on a Saturday. It’s their free time,” she says. “It always amazes me how willing attorneys are to come out and give legal advice to those who otherwise would not have any recourse other than to do it themselves.”
Other events going on statewide as part of the celebration of Pro-Bono Month can be accessed on the Tennessee Bar Association Web site. Legal Aid and Husch Blackwell will be hosting a class on poverty law that will identify different poverty issues in doing pro-bono work and will provide free CLE credit on Oct. 22. This, and the free law advice clinic, also provides an opportunity for attorneys to use the knowledge of other attorneys to answer questions about helping those in need.
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