Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 13 authorizes the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to enter into contracts for representation of indigent persons by attorneys working on various types of cases, including representation of indigent respondents facing involuntary emergency judicial hospitalization pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 33-6-401 et seq.
The AOC is seeking attorneys who are interested in contracting with the AOC to perform these services in the General Sessions Courts in Blount, Davidson, Hamilton, Hardeman and Wilson Counties. The contract arrangement establishes compensation based on dockets. All licensed attorneys are invited to apply.
Judges will continue to have the discretion to assign attorneys, but only attorneys who have submitted a completed contract will be eligible to receive and accept appointments on these dockets. Attorneys seeking payment under the contract will simply submit an invoice to the AOC (as opposed to completing numerous fee claims) for each docket along with a copy of the order appointing him or her to that docket (preferably on a single document).
The AOC’s intent is to provide quality representation at a reasonable compensation rate to attorneys for the time spent on a docket. The goal of these contract services is to efficiently and effectively manage taxpayer monies and the resources of the indigent fund. Similar contract programs exist in Shelby and Williamson Counties.
For information on how to apply, contact Assistant General Counsel David Byrne at (615) 741-2687 or via email at David.Byrne@tncourts.gov.
Source: AOC